Bleeding Orange to Reach Your Goals with Alexis Hornbuckle
Alexis Hornbuckle is an incredible athlete and member of the Knoxville community. As the first female athlete to ever win the Collegiate and the WNBA National Championships in the same collegiate year, she has become not only a local legend, but a legend in all of women’s basketball.
Alexis Hornbuckle is an incredible athlete and member of the Knoxville community. As the first female athlete to ever win the Collegiate and the WNBA National Championships in the same collegiate year, she has become not only a local legend, but a legend in all of women’s basketball. Throughout this episode, we explore how playing for UT and being coached by Pat Summitt was a dream come true for Alexis, and the way that has shaped her career in the WNBA and beyond. Alexis also shares why she moved back to Knoxville after her WNBA career, and how she’s helping the community through her coaching programs.
Highlights
00:00 Intro
00:22 Julia introduces Alexis, the only female athlete to win the Collegiate and the WNBA National Championships in the same collegiate year
01:46 How Alexis wound up being recruited to UT Knoxville
03:31 What it was like for Alexis to be coached by Pat Summitt, and how the experience shaped her career and the city of Knoxville
06:54 How the economic crisis of 2008 affected Alexis’ career
09:41 What it was like to come back to Knoxville after Alexis’ stint in the WNBA
10:40 Ad - Dr. Joe Chiro
11:41 Alexis gives some insight into the origins of her coaching career and how she’s giving back to the community through coaching
15:26 What Alexis feels that Knoxville can do to retain more of our young athletes and college graduates
18:29 The positive changes Alexis has seen in Knoxville, and what she hopes to see in the future of our city
21:50 Ad - Just Homes Group
23:55 Alexis answers Julia’s lightning round of questions, starting with Alexis’ favorite restaurant
28:00 Where you can follow Alexis on social media and find out more about her coaching programs
Links Mentioned in This Episode:
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buck1422/
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hornbuckle14
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hornbuckle1422
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Dr. Joe Chiro: https://goseedrjoe.com/
Connect with ConnectTheKnox
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Just Homes Realty Group: www.justhomesgroup.com
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Find my Home Buyers & Home Sellers Guide here: https://linktr.ee/thejuliahurley
Transcript
Julia: Welcome, everybody to another episode of Connect the Knox. I’m your host, Julia Hurley, connecting Knoxville to the nation. Today’s podcast guest is none other than famous Alexis Hornbuckle. And the reason that she’s famous, for everybody out there that doesn’t follow you at sports, I don’t know who you possibly could be, but she is the only female athlete to have won, what was it? What was it? Two national championships in a row, one for collegiate and then a national WNBA championship in the same year. Is that correct?
Alexis: Yeah. So, it’s the only one to win the Collegiate and the WNBA in the same collegiate year.
Julia: Yeah, that’s kind of a big deal. And Alexis is right here in Knoxville, Tennessee, so please introduce yourself to our crowd and say hello.
Alexis: Hi, everybody. Thank you, Julia, for having me. I’m excited. I appreciate it. Like she said, my name is Alexis Hornbuckle. I’m not originally from Knoxville, I’m from Dunbar, West Virginia, born and raised, but then I came over, followed Pat Summitt and the Lady Vol, came and played basketball, 2004 to 2008. And like you said, was blessed enough to have a career, six years in the WNBA and 11 years overseas, moved back to Knoxville out here, just personal training, basketball training, camps, clinics, bartending, mobile bartending, giving back to the community, XHunger, girl, whatever I can do [laugh].
Julia: [laugh]. You are a busy lady. Let’s get into, like, the meat of it. How did you end up at UT? What was that recruiting process like?
Alexis: Oh man, how I ended up at UT, it’s pretty simple. And I was about 12 years old, I believe, about sixth grade. I watched a documentary on Pat Summitt, and the Lady Vols, their Cinderella season that year. You know, they had, like, ten losses, nobody expected them to win. They’re documenting this process, and their—I forgot if it was they missed curfew or didn’t do something correctly, I don’t remember the reasons why at this present moment, but Pat had four trash cans on each corner of the court and they are running, you know, until they hit all the trash cans.
So, they throw up in all the trash cans, like no, you will do what you’re supposed to do, basically, you know because if you don’t, this is the consequences of that. And just to see that that didn’t fold that team, it actually brought them together. It actually kickstarted that back half of the season and took them on that national championship run. And I looked at my dad like, you know, “That lady’s crazy. Like, I got to go play for her.”
And the recruiting process, I was blessed to be a top recruit and was recruited by literally all the colleges all over the world. And Tennessee stood out after I made that decision. Like, I just started bleeding orange and there was nothing, really, that was going to sway that. And not a lot of people get to fulfill their dreams, you know, like, set a goal, fulfill it, especially young athletes when it comes to collegiate or even the pro level. So, I was just, like, “You know what? I’m doing this.”
Julia: I love that. What was it like to play for the most winningest—most winningest, which doesn’t even grammatically makes sense, but that’s what we say: the most winningest coach in all of sports? You’re welcome, America. It was Pat Summitt. What was it like to play for Pat Summitt?
What was it like to be around someone that it has, I mean, a prolific change in the history of sports, period. Not just women’s sports—
Alexis: Right.
Julia: Sports, period. Because very few people get that. I mean, there are NFL coaches that have retired with that kind of prestige. There are very few people in general that have that big of an impact on all of sports. And we had her right here in Knoxville for as long as we keep her. What was that experience like?
Alexis: That experience was surreal, to be honest with you. You know, you’re an 18 to 22-year-old kid, so taking it all in at that present moment didn’t happen for me personally, but a lot of things that I understood before I came in and while I was there and especially after was that—I gave that lady the utmost respect, as everyone else did, you know, that it didn’t matter how old you were or who you were. And having that was just, like, you don’t want to put her on a pedestal because it’s like your coach, right? She’s running you, she’s [laugh], she’s making life not so easy, right, on a training perspective. But from another perspective, this woman knows how to win, she’s very caring, very loving, just very intense.
And so, she’s determined to bring the best out of you, and that’s by anybody that she’s surrounded by, from a manager to an office assistant to assistant coaches to the players to [Tyler 00:04:50], you know, whatever it is, and to have that and be there and play under that. It was exciting. It pushed me to want to give everything I possibly could because I noticed she did that every day, and anything else less is a failure, you know? So, she exuded excellence and confidence and it trickled down, you know, from the top. It started with her and it just filtered out throughout the whole organization, and to be a part of that is a true blessing.
Julia: How did that impact your time at UT? How did it impact Knoxville as a whole? And how has that carried on through your WNBA career and choosing to come back to Knoxville and contribute?
Alexis: Man, for me—and Tennessee—I just think that was—she’s a game-changer, you know? She’s a life-changer. That’s obviously shown with that record before she passed to be the winningest coach, man or woman, in any sport. That’s a tremendous accolade and achievement. And I think it gave Tennessee a state—more of a state of pride when it came to not only Pat Summitt—I call it the Summitt State—but [laugh] but also to Tennessee Sports, you know? There was a seven-year drought. There wasn’t any championships for a while, so people got a little discouraged. You know, how we do here on [Rocky Top 00:06:07]. We’re kind of hard on—
Julia: Call for blood. We lost one game; they’re out.
Alexis: Yeah, yeah, yeah. We’re kind of hard on our coaches and athletes as fans. But realistically, nobody ever gave up on Pat and that said a lot in that drought. But, you know, coming back and doing that, I think it just put the state right back to a sense of comfort, and… the posture change, like, you know, we’re still here. Respect us. We’re still champions. We still got the winningest coach, you know? We’re still one of the top schools that have the most NCAA championships. We are here and we’re here to stay. And she did that. And so, to be a part of that, I think, number one, it was life-changing for me, but I know it was a game-changer for the entire state and especially the city of Knoxville.
Julia: So, changing focus a little bit, economically speaking—and this may not have affected you during those years because you were in college and playing, but it affected you after—you were there in 2004 during the height of the biggest housing boom, the economy was the greatest it’s ever been, people have more money than they’ve ever had, and then you graduate and go to the WNBA in 2008 and the entire world falls apart. How does that affect you? How did that affect your sport? How did that affect your career and everything moving forward? Especially all over the world?
Alexis: Oh man, I think it affected the overseas the most. I mean, the WNBA in and of itself, you know, started with a lot lower budget, you know, even obviously, it’s made leaps and bounds to get to athletes to where they’re at now, but starting out. I mean, as a rookie, I was only making I think it was like 38 or $40,000. Do you what I’m s—yeah. Yeah. Yeah. People think it’s, you know, it’s just like y—
Julia: Ya-okay [laugh].
Alexis: —you go to the league and you’re making a million dollars.
Julia: Different conversation for a different day [laugh].
Alexis: For a different day, definitely. But also that’s for a four-month season, right, because you’re only getting paid in season. But also, what do you do after that if this is your career? Overseas is where he felt that the most though because at that time, the dollar stood for something, you know what I mean? Outside of the Euro we’re the highest, so over there that affects your contracts, how much they’re able to give, how much they’re willing to give.
You know, you might have played for a team and they just paid you I don’t know, let’s just say 10,000 a month, and then the very next season—and they know the type of player you are and everything else—“Hey, listen, we only have seven-and-a-half.” You know? And maybe you could squeeze eight out of it, but if not, you got to go find another team. So, it really forces you—it forced us to move around a lot more unless you were kind of locked into to those multi-year contracts. But that’s where I felt the most was in [crosstalk 00:08:43]—
Julia: Yeah the ’08 crash was a tough one for every single person I know. Here in Knoxville, we are somewhat protected, I guess we could say that we’re, you know, no income tax state, a no [unintelligible 00:08:52] income tax state, a no death tax state, a no inheritance tax state. So, we were somewhat protected. But that bubble did burst here as well and bringing all of our people together and just saying, “Hey, listen, we have hundreds of people, hundreds of businesses who lost everything they own.” Multi, multi, multi-millions and billions of dollars were gone, but that affected everybody from the top down, every place, every person.
So, the ’08 crash played a massive… what’s the word I want to say? Like, a gathering of the—we’re going to push through. So, that perseverance, and being an athlete coached under the most winningest coach in the country in the world, you know, across all sports, having that perseverance really helped push through. What was it like after that stint in the WNBA to come back and start to rebuild?
Alexis: For me, it was tough. And it was more so because of how I left the league. It wasn’t really my decision at the time, so that was tough. And then that transition, from a mental health perspective, honestly exceeded any type of financial changes at that time because I wasn’t even thinking about that. I’m thinking that every—the game that I love to play and grew up doing since I was four years old, is, like, kind of being blocked right now.
So, that’s all I’m worried about. Like, am I going to get back to playing? How am I going to get back to playing? Will I be making enough money to continue to make this my livelihood, right? So, I guess in a sense, that’s where it came in, but that was kind of the latter thought for me at that time. So, it’s hard for me to answer that question from an economical standpoint, to be honest.
Julia: Sure. Sure. Well, your mental state affects your economics—
Alexis: Yeah [laugh].
Julia: Every time because you can have a dollar and turn around and make 50 out of it, or you can have a dollar and have nothing. I mean, that mental state, that ability to stay stable—and again, I’ve talked to so many athletes on this podcast and so many non-athletes, and they all have the same conclusion on mental health, it is one of the most important things that we can work toward. And I know that Knoxville is working on that with their current athletes. And I’ve had a few athletes on here, like, “Man, I wish I had the care and the ability back when I was an athlete, to be able to push that forward.” You are here now, coaching, you’ve got a great—I see you all the time on Instagram, you’re [unintelligible 00:11:14] to get some great coaching camps coming up for basketball for kids, especially during the summers, you do a lot of things to give back to this community. How is that growing your business in Knoxville, how long has that been going on, and what can we do as a community to grow that with you?
Alexis: Oh, thank you, Julia, for asking. It started three years ago, when I moved back. It’ll be three years next month, actually. And I moved back, current—I was then living in North Carolina, doing the same thing as far as basketball camps and clinics and training and mentoring and coaching, but I moved back because I’m like, listen our Lady Vols are—you know, we’ve been getting better, you know? Kelly has us on that upward incline of success.
But I remember being—the former players coming back and being around, right? So, I was like, oh, you know, it’s only three hours from Charlotte, but at the same time, that’s three hours. What happens if I’m right there, you know, and just being able to let the girls know, like, I’m here, you know? I’m not here to do anything but be here for you, you know, as a Summitt baby, I’m willing to learn and give those lessons. And they have that in their coach, but as a player, sometimes there’s a disconnect from player and coach, so I just wanted to be something outside of that current team, but knowing that I’m a part of that history and that legend and that sisterhood.
So, that was one of the factors. The other one was to leverage my name. I gave a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, and everything I had, you know, to the University of Tennessee and the Lady Vol program, my teammates, and coach. And I was like, you know, I can come back and do the same thing and have young girls and young boys willing and, ready not only to learn more about sports and life but be more aware of the seasons, and what’s happened in Tennessee and Tennessee athletics and realizing that these athletes struggle with the same things y’all do as kids. They have opportunities to help in the community and this is why, you know, if you have a desire to do that, here’s someone you can look up to and do that.
And I said, I can be one of those people and I can also be a bridge, you know? Julia, you’re great at doing that, at connecting people, and in the basketball world, we call it you know, facilitating point guards [through 00:13:16], right, so to me, that comes natural. And that was probably the second-biggest factor and it was a no-brainer, you know? There’s a lot of good trainers and coaches and organizations going around. I mean, I went to school with Bobby Maze. He has his own gym and program, B. MAZE ELITE.
So, you know, I gave him a helping hand for a few months when I first came down and it was—I came to help [laugh]. I came to serve others. Honestly, that was the ultimate decision. I wanted to make sure that I can be in a good mental space. I had at that time, teamed up with the Revitalist Clinic, and helped their mission to push mental health, and went through ketamine treatments. And it was life-changing, right? It changed my whole perspective on that type of therapy. And now just being involved and partnering with Onrise, another mental health organization, as you also know. So—
Julia: Oh, yeah. They’re very good. We’re very happy to have them in the Knoxville market. For sure.
Alexis: Oh, yeah. And I’m excited to be a part of that team. You know, of course, Derrick Furlow put me in a position to be able to do that, as he does so many other opportunities. And then just being here, Julia, it’s brought me to basketball. It’s brought me to personal training outside of athletes, you know, everyday people, moms, dads, elderly, I think my oldest client is 72 years old [laugh].
Julia: Oh, [laugh] that’s awesome.
Alexis: Yeah, works her butt off. But it’s just things like that, coming to serve the community, coming to serve others, making sure our state, you know, close—my parents or close, so home is close to me, you know, and being able to make sure that I continue to give all the praise and all the glory to God, and that’s how I live this life, man.
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Julia: I’m excited. We’re excited to have you in Knoxville. It is rare that students come back, and I know that it’s something that we’ve been working on, I’ve been working on it with Derrick for a long time, trying to get more of the teams and the athletes to want to stay. And as I own my own brokerage and own a couple of businesses, I’m like, “Hey, come work with me. Stay here. Let me get you more involved in the community.” Please stay. You’re young, you’re intelligent, you’re very disciplined. Stay. What can we do to get more people to stay, in your opinion, when they leave college, if they don’t go pro, what can we do to get him to stay in Knoxville?
Alexis: I think just the awareness of, these are the options that you have. And I know that there’s little things being done on the outside, but if there was something that every athlete kind of knew or kind of was—almost, this is the transition from collegiate athlete, whether you go pro or not, building that community, you know, like a retire—even though we’re not retired, but, like, a retired or a veteran, program. And there’s out there, and so we tap in, but there’s not one collectively where everybody knows about, right? Or, if it is, you know, it might be something you had to pay X amount of dollars and if I’m in between, you got to still remember, I’m a college student entering life. I may not have X amount of dollars to be a part of this community.
So, being able to find free avenues and just connecting dots, connecting people, connecting the Knox, like you do.
Julia: [laugh].
Alexis: [laugh]. But being able to do that. And keeping it out there circulating. You know, follow these athletes, follow these players that come back, let them know, reach out to them. If you don’t have their direct phone number or a way to contact them, social media is always going to be the best way. It might not get the fastest result but the messages will be seen and a response will be given if it’s approached in the right way.
So, I think just coming off and saying, “Hey, listen, I don’t want anything from you. I’m just letting you know, as an BFL, as an LVFL, this is what’s out here for you in Knoxville if you so choose to stay.” It’s bigger than sports, [unintelligible 00:17:21]—and Derrick can attest to this and if they don’t already know that, man, send them his way because, you know, that transitioning, he has a full curriculum on it, he wrote a book on it, he’s lived it. So, getting them connected with people and athletes who have been where they’re at and connecting that and then letting it just continue to filter out, you know, because networking is huge. And if you haven’t been taught that, then learning that as quickly as possible is a game-changer. It changes—
Julia: It is a game-changer. Knoxville offers so many opportunities for that. We’re such a big small town, or a small big town. I can’t decide which one it is, but we’re both.
Alexis: Yeah, I think we’re a small, big town. I think we’re a small, big town.
Julia: We’re a small, big town.
Alexis: Yeah.
Julia: [laugh]. So, something that everybody agrees on, every person that we’ve interviewed on this podcast so far agrees, Knoxville is the best for networking opportunities, still an intimate space, and many of the athletes—I’ve just interviewed Chris Lofton about an hour ago and he said the exact same thing. He’s like, “Listen, the name means something. When you’re here and you’re plugged in”—
Alexis: Absolutely.
Julia: —“You can do amazing things for other people just using your own name. You can do so much for other people.” So, Knoxville is one of those places that makes you feel like you not only belong, that you have ownership, you’re part of it, and you want to make it great. What changes have you seen Knoxville make that have been unbelievably, like, never imagined that would happen? And how do you feel like the future of Knoxville is going to stay moving forward?
Alexis: Well, honestly, everything’s changed when I came [laugh] back. I was like, “Wow, where am I?” But in a good way, you know? It’s just more modernized, it’s more up-to-date, more up-to-speed, and more visible. And I think that’s important because you can offer so many great things and if people don’t know about you, it doesn’t matter. You know that from a business perspective, and kids know that, and parents know that from a recruiting perspective if you live in smaller towns or states.
And just seeing the businesses that’s grown, you know, from the food and service industry to the commerce to the Strip is completely different, you know? And it’s starting to look and feel more like a downtown. Like, I live downtown, so you know, it feels more like that. It was very barren when I was in school, wasn’t a lot to really do… [laugh] there really wasn’t a lot to really do l[laugh]. And I was like, “Nope, it wasn’t.”
And I think that that’s a game-changer because now people—it’s more inviting, it’s more welcoming, people—there’s more things to do. We have great, you know, restaurants and shopping centers, you can eat great food with, you know, people who are invested into their craft. So, you got chefs who are very proud to say, “Hey, no, I am the top chef in East Tennessee when it comes to seafood. When it comes to this.” And when you get those people in their niches, in our little, big town city, it filters out all across the nation, you know?
Because people come in to visit their friends and their family or watch sporting events, and they’re trying these places and they’re bringing people back and they’re coming back and helping Knoxville grow. So, that has to continue to happen. And, you know, people follow athletes and actors and entertainers, so that’s one way for us to be able to utilize ourselves but also be used by others in collaboration and partnership and getting the word out and spreading it and pulling people back for whatever reasons, whether that’s for charities events because there’s a lot that happens in Knoxville and for great causes. What is—EDGE Foundation is one big one. And that’s—
Julia: Yeah we just did that together. We did the, um—
Alexis: Yeah, kickball.
Julia: —kickball with [Kurt 00:20:48] [laugh].
Alexis: The kickball with Kurt and friends.
Julia: That was fun. I got so sunburned [laugh].
Alexis: Did you? Yeah, no, I was—I don’t even know. I was living my best life. I had a great opportunity. But also, Julia, when you asked about what can be done to draw people—the athletes—back, it also comes to follow through because people get very excited, and people we call, you know, fanboy fangirlish, like, “Oh yeah, I would love to help you. I have this, I can do this, we can do this.”
And then the athlete reaches back and it’s a whole lot of, “Well, I got to look into this. I got to talk to this person. I got to do that.” So, just realizing that we are people with dreams as well, and goals and visions, so there’s no need to sell us on those dreams, on y’all’s dreams. There’s no need to, you know, beat around the bush.
If you can’t directly help, we would gladly accept just a direction. “Hey, I have a buddy. Hey, I have a friend of mine. My cousin does this.” You know what I’m saying? Whatever it is because we never mind doing the work.
Julia: Exactly.
Alexis: All you need to let us know what door to knock on and we’ll get in, once we’re in, you know?
Julia: You’ll figure it out.
Alexis: We’ll figure it out. Yeah.
Julia: You’ll figure it out.
Alexis: We’ll get the work done.
Julia: Athletes are the best. Athletes are the best employees. I’m such an advocate. I’m like, “Please give these athletes an opportunity to interview with your companies. Please let them know what you do, if they can do it too.” Like, I haven’t been I have a dream of, like, having an entire athlete agency at some point, millions of real estate agents, all athletes.
Alexis: Listen, it definitely can be done. And I think that’s a huge thing. So, don’t only just offer the help, actually give it or send them to somewhere where they can get it, even if it’s just a simple book or a reference, you know? Just continue to move us forward because once we get our hands on it or that door is open, we will definitely move the community forward or whatever project or sport forward. So.
Julia: Well, I tell people, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is the second largest world fan base in the world. Florida is number one—ehh [raspberry]—but that’s okay. Tennessee is number two in the world for the largest fan base. So, wherever you are in the world, look it up. There's an alumni there.
Alexis: Who’s number one?
Julia: Florida.
Alexis: Okay.
Julia: Gatorade. It’s the Gatorade. Everybody knows Gatorade. Anyway [laugh].
Alexis: That’s true. That’s true.
Julia: It’s the Gatorade. It’s not the Florida Gators. Nobody loves them. I’m kidding. Everybody loves them because they’re in the SEC and they make us money. We appreciate your hard work. But it’s Gatorade. But Tennessee is number two, so anywhere you see orange, there’s an alumni somewhere, and somebody from Knoxville, Tennessee, is always available to you. And I love that we’re such a big, small town. We’re very glad that you came back. So, lightning round—whoo—we’re going to go fast, but not too fast. Um, favorite restaurant Knoxville? And you can have more than one.
Alexis: I can have more than one? Okay. Oh man, favorite restaurant in Knoxville? Well, my favorite, um, I love Jackie’s Dream, not only because she—
Julia: Oh, God. I was just talking about them last night.
Alexis: Yeah. You know, that’s my home girl. That’s a [audio break 00:23:45] friend right there. So, that’s one of them. Man, you put me on the spot. I don’t even know. Chophouse. I love—I like going there a lot.
Julia: Chophouse is good. Chophouse is good.
Alexis: Yeah Chophouse is good. Chivo’s Taqueria. Yeah, like, Stock & Barrel burgers. It depends on where I’m going, you know? [unintelligible 00:24:01], I’m big on their brunch. Man, there’s a lot of little places.
Julia: Knoxville got a lot of food [laugh].
Alexis: Yeah it does.
Julia: What’s your favorite outdoor activity?
Alexis: Oh, my favorite outdoor activity would be, like, just being on a boat on a lake. Maybe jet skiing. Yeah.
Julia: Okay, which lake’s your favorite lake?
Alexis: Well, I’ve only been to—well, of course, I’ve been on Loudoun. And then, what’s the one… see, this is I how know I don’t be knowing stuff. You put me on the spot, Julia.
Julia: [laugh].
Alexis: Norris Lake. Norris Lake. [unintelligible 00:24:37] Norris Lake better.
Julia: The cleanest lake in this entire—you see all the way to the bottom.
Alexis: Yeah, Norris Lake I like.
Julia: Norris.
Alexis: I’m way more comfortable on Norris Lake. Yeah.
Julia: Yeah. Norris Lake is very, very clean. And very shallow. Only pontoon boats because it’s so shallow.
Alexis: Yeah.
Julia: But it’s a really beautiful lake.
Alexis: Yeah. It’s really—I [crosstalk 00:24:51] that.
Julia: Yeah. All right. Favorite bar, pub, or brewery.
Alexis: Oh bar, pub, or brewery? Big fan of Yee-Haw, shout-out—
Julia: Okay.
Alexis: That’s definitely, probably—that’s my little duck-off. I like that spot. They got good food, too. They got—
Julia: I’ve not been there yet. I haven’t had time.
Alexis: Favorite [unintelligible 00:25:11]—
Julia: I have not had the time.
Alexis: Go check them out. You should definitely check them out. Their outdoor space is amazing, they do Cinema Sundays where they, like, on their outdoor space, they—it’s free movies. Of course, there’s food. Then you got the bar. So, it’s family and dog-friendly.
Julia: Very important.
Alexis: Yeah. And then my all-in-one is if you want somewhere where the kids can go running around and still—or just go be a big kid, just go to Main Event.
Julia: Oh, I do love Main Event.
Alexis: Yeah.
Julia: Do love Main Event.
Alexis: Yeah.
Julia: That place is very interesting. I love it there. Their food’s actually not bad.
Alexis: No, no.
Julia: Not bad at all.
Alexis: Pretty good. It’s pretty good.
Julia: Pretty good. The pizza is not bad.
Alexis: Yeah.
Julia: Okay—
Alexis: I been a bartender there sometimes, so, you know.
Julia: Oh, well, we’ll have—you’ll have to text us and we’ll come over. You’ll have to tell us when you’re there.
Alexis: Perfect. Perfect.
Julia: Yeah, we will—because our office is just right down the road.
Alexis: I know. I know where you’re at [laugh].
Julia: [laugh]. We’ll pop over for, like, shooting—what is that? Laser tag?
Alexis: Laser tag, yeah.
Julia: Very fun.
Alexis: I get it in laser tag. All right.
Julia: [laugh]. All right. Um, best kept secret. So, if somebody from out of the area—so, like one of your old teammates or something comes and says, “Never been to Knoxville. Take me somewhere very cool.” Where would you take somebody that’s never been here for their first what—anything? Their first anything.
Alexis: Their first anything? Oh… oh, that’s a great question. [pause]. Because I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all. I think it depends on who’s visiting, for one. I’m very analytical, Julia, so—
Julia: Yeah, yeah.
Alexis: This is very—
Julia: I love it.
Alexis: This is [laugh] very hard for me. Um… hmmm, I’d probably take them to Chivo’s, and that’s because they have good food, solid drinks, the atmosphere is real chill, you’re downtown and you can kind of just figure out what move you’re going to make next, very comfortably. Nobody can be disappointed, from appetizers to the entrees to even the desserts. All their stuff is made with fresh ingredients. Can’t go wrong.
Julia: I love it. That’s a good suggestion. Everybody has a different place. Everybody I’ve interviewed has a different spot [unintelligible 00:27:20] people.
Alexis: Yeah.
Julia: Very eclectic group. All right. This is the end of our conversation, however, I want all of our listeners to be able to find you, follow you, and get to know your camps because it is very important to keep kids involved in sports. It gives them discipline it gives them opportunity, and when you see talent and is trained by talent, you can’t go wrong. Where can people find you? Where can they contact you? Where can they be involved?
Alexis: Absolutely. Y’all can follow me on Instagram buck1422. On Twitter Hornbuckle14. Facebook, it’s just simply [AlexisHornbuckle 00:27:49]. Reach out. You will be responded to by myself or somebody on my team.
Also, all summer long, you know, at 9 to 11 in the morning, YWCA Phyllis Wheatley, we’re doing skills lessons, okay? One hour ball handling, one hour shooting. It’s two separate. You don’t have to commit to both; you are more than welcome to. But we’re here to develop the kids. It does not matter your skill level, I guarantee I can teach you something, I guarantee we can add to your game and your life and way of thinking, so please reach out, and I look forward to working with y’all and y’all’s support. Thank you.
Julia: Listeners, again, Alexis Hornbuckle, the only champion that we’ve had to win college and WNBA in the same year, right here for your kids in Knoxville, Tennessee. If there’s anything that you need to know about the future, always visit us and give us a call. We’re so glad you joined us today on Connect the Knox, connecting Knoxville to the nation. Thanks, listeners.
Julia: Thank you for tuning into the show. Make sure to like and subscribe, leave a five-star review on your podcast player of choice, and if you would like information on moving to Knoxville, send me a private message. As always, this is Julia Hurley, connecting Knoxville to the nation.
Julia: Welcome, everybody to another episode of Connect the Knox. I’m your host, Julia Hurley, connecting Knoxville to the nation. Today’s podcast guest is none other than famous Alexis Hornbuckle. And the reason that she’s famous, for everybody out there that doesn’t follow you at sports, I don’t know who you possibly could be, but she is the only female athlete to have won, what was it? What was it? Two national championships in a row, one for collegiate and then a national WNBA championship in the same year. Is that correct?
Alexis: Yeah. So, it’s the only one to win the Collegiate and the WNBA in the same collegiate year.
Julia: Yeah, that’s kind of a big deal. And Alexis is right here in Knoxville, Tennessee, so please introduce yourself to our crowd and say hello.
Alexis: Hi, everybody. Thank you, Julia, for having me. I’m excited. I appreciate it. Like she said, my name is Alexis Hornbuckle. I’m not originally from Knoxville, I’m from Dunbar, West Virginia, born and raised, but then I came over, followed Pat Summitt and the Lady Vol, came and played basketball, 2004 to 2008. And like you said, was blessed enough to have a career, six years in the WNBA and 11 years overseas, moved back to Knoxville out here, just personal training, basketball training, camps, clinics, bartending, mobile bartending, giving back to the community, XHunger, girl, whatever I can do [laugh].
Julia: [laugh]. You are a busy lady. Let’s get into, like, the meat of it. How did you end up at UT? What was that recruiting process like?
Alexis: Oh man, how I ended up at UT, it’s pretty simple. And I was about 12 years old, I believe, about sixth grade. I watched a documentary on Pat Summitt, and the Lady Vols, their Cinderella season that year. You know, they had, like, ten losses, nobody expected them to win. They’re documenting this process, and their—I forgot if it was they missed curfew or didn’t do something correctly, I don’t remember the reasons why at this present moment, but Pat had four trash cans on each corner of the court and they are running, you know, until they hit all the trash cans.
So, they throw up in all the trash cans, like no, you will do what you’re supposed to do, basically, you know because if you don’t, this is the consequences of that. And just to see that that didn’t fold that team, it actually brought them together. It actually kickstarted that back half of the season and took them on that national championship run. And I looked at my dad like, you know, “That lady’s crazy. Like, I got to go play for her.”
And the recruiting process, I was blessed to be a top recruit and was recruited by literally all the colleges all over the world. And Tennessee stood out after I made that decision. Like, I just started bleeding orange and there was nothing, really, that was going to sway that. And not a lot of people get to fulfill their dreams, you know, like, set a goal, fulfill it, especially young athletes when it comes to collegiate or even the pro level. So, I was just, like, “You know what? I’m doing this.”
Julia: I love that. What was it like to play for the most winningest—most winningest, which doesn’t even grammatically makes sense, but that’s what we say: the most winningest coach in all of sports? You’re welcome, America. It was Pat Summitt. What was it like to play for Pat Summitt?
What was it like to be around someone that it has, I mean, a prolific change in the history of sports, period. Not just women’s sports—
Alexis: Right.
Julia: Sports, period. Because very few people get that. I mean, there are NFL coaches that have retired with that kind of prestige. There are very few people in general that have that big of an impact on all of sports. And we had her right here in Knoxville for as long as we keep her. What was that experience like?
Alexis: That experience was surreal, to be honest with you. You know, you’re an 18 to 22-year-old kid, so taking it all in at that present moment didn’t happen for me personally, but a lot of things that I understood before I came in and while I was there and especially after was that—I gave that lady the utmost respect, as everyone else did, you know, that it didn’t matter how old you were or who you were. And having that was just, like, you don’t want to put her on a pedestal because it’s like your coach, right? She’s running you, she’s [laugh], she’s making life not so easy, right, on a training perspective. But from another perspective, this woman knows how to win, she’s very caring, very loving, just very intense.
And so, she’s determined to bring the best out of you, and that’s by anybody that she’s surrounded by, from a manager to an office assistant to assistant coaches to the players to [Tyler 00:04:50], you know, whatever it is, and to have that and be there and play under that. It was exciting. It pushed me to want to give everything I possibly could because I noticed she did that every day, and anything else less is a failure, you know? So, she exuded excellence and confidence and it trickled down, you know, from the top. It started with her and it just filtered out throughout the whole organization, and to be a part of that is a true blessing.
Julia: How did that impact your time at UT? How did it impact Knoxville as a whole? And how has that carried on through your WNBA career and choosing to come back to Knoxville and contribute?
Alexis: Man, for me—and Tennessee—I just think that was—she’s a game-changer, you know? She’s a life-changer. That’s obviously shown with that record before she passed to be the winningest coach, man or woman, in any sport. That’s a tremendous accolade and achievement. And I think it gave Tennessee a state—more of a state of pride when it came to not only Pat Summitt—I call it the Summitt State—but [laugh] but also to Tennessee Sports, you know? There was a seven-year drought. There wasn’t any championships for a while, so people got a little discouraged. You know, how we do here on [Rocky Top 00:06:07]. We’re kind of hard on—
Julia: Call for blood. We lost one game; they’re out.
Alexis: Yeah, yeah, yeah. We’re kind of hard on our coaches and athletes as fans. But realistically, nobody ever gave up on Pat and that said a lot in that drought. But, you know, coming back and doing that, I think it just put the state right back to a sense of comfort, and… the posture change, like, you know, we’re still here. Respect us. We’re still champions. We still got the winningest coach, you know? We’re still one of the top schools that have the most NCAA championships. We are here and we’re here to stay. And she did that. And so, to be a part of that, I think, number one, it was life-changing for me, but I know it was a game-changer for the entire state and especially the city of Knoxville.
Julia: So, changing focus a little bit, economically speaking—and this may not have affected you during those years because you were in college and playing, but it affected you after—you were there in 2004 during the height of the biggest housing boom, the economy was the greatest it’s ever been, people have more money than they’ve ever had, and then you graduate and go to the WNBA in 2008 and the entire world falls apart. How does that affect you? How did that affect your sport? How did that affect your career and everything moving forward? Especially all over the world?
Alexis: Oh man, I think it affected the overseas the most. I mean, the WNBA in and of itself, you know, started with a lot lower budget, you know, even obviously, it’s made leaps and bounds to get to athletes to where they’re at now, but starting out. I mean, as a rookie, I was only making I think it was like 38 or $40,000. Do you what I’m s—yeah. Yeah. Yeah. People think it’s, you know, it’s just like y—
Julia: Ya-okay [laugh].
Alexis: —you go to the league and you’re making a million dollars.
Julia: Different conversation for a different day [laugh].
Alexis: For a different day, definitely. But also that’s for a four-month season, right, because you’re only getting paid in season. But also, what do you do after that if this is your career? Overseas is where he felt that the most though because at that time, the dollar stood for something, you know what I mean? Outside of the Euro we’re the highest, so over there that affects your contracts, how much they’re able to give, how much they’re willing to give.
You know, you might have played for a team and they just paid you I don’t know, let’s just say 10,000 a month, and then the very next season—and they know the type of player you are and everything else—“Hey, listen, we only have seven-and-a-half.” You know? And maybe you could squeeze eight out of it, but if not, you got to go find another team. So, it really forces you—it forced us to move around a lot more unless you were kind of locked into to those multi-year contracts. But that’s where I felt the most was in [crosstalk 00:08:43]—
Julia: Yeah the ’08 crash was a tough one for every single person I know. Here in Knoxville, we are somewhat protected, I guess we could say that we’re, you know, no income tax state, a no [unintelligible 00:08:52] income tax state, a no death tax state, a no inheritance tax state. So, we were somewhat protected. But that bubble did burst here as well and bringing all of our people together and just saying, “Hey, listen, we have hundreds of people, hundreds of businesses who lost everything they own.” Multi, multi, multi-millions and billions of dollars were gone, but that affected everybody from the top down, every place, every person.
So, the ’08 crash played a massive… what’s the word I want to say? Like, a gathering of the—we’re going to push through. So, that perseverance, and being an athlete coached under the most winningest coach in the country in the world, you know, across all sports, having that perseverance really helped push through. What was it like after that stint in the WNBA to come back and start to rebuild?
Alexis: For me, it was tough. And it was more so because of how I left the league. It wasn’t really my decision at the time, so that was tough. And then that transition, from a mental health perspective, honestly exceeded any type of financial changes at that time because I wasn’t even thinking about that. I’m thinking that every—the game that I love to play and grew up doing since I was four years old, is, like, kind of being blocked right now.
So, that’s all I’m worried about. Like, am I going to get back to playing? How am I going to get back to playing? Will I be making enough money to continue to make this my livelihood, right? So, I guess in a sense, that’s where it came in, but that was kind of the latter thought for me at that time. So, it’s hard for me to answer that question from an economical standpoint, to be honest.
Julia: Sure. Sure. Well, your mental state affects your economics—
Alexis: Yeah [laugh].
Julia: Every time because you can have a dollar and turn around and make 50 out of it, or you can have a dollar and have nothing. I mean, that mental state, that ability to stay stable—and again, I’ve talked to so many athletes on this podcast and so many non-athletes, and they all have the same conclusion on mental health, it is one of the most important things that we can work toward. And I know that Knoxville is working on that with their current athletes. And I’ve had a few athletes on here, like, “Man, I wish I had the care and the ability back when I was an athlete, to be able to push that forward.” You are here now, coaching, you’ve got a great—I see you all the time on Instagram, you’re [unintelligible 00:11:14] to get some great coaching camps coming up for basketball for kids, especially during the summers, you do a lot of things to give back to this community. How is that growing your business in Knoxville, how long has that been going on, and what can we do as a community to grow that with you?
Alexis: Oh, thank you, Julia, for asking. It started three years ago, when I moved back. It’ll be three years next month, actually. And I moved back, current—I was then living in North Carolina, doing the same thing as far as basketball camps and clinics and training and mentoring and coaching, but I moved back because I’m like, listen our Lady Vols are—you know, we’ve been getting better, you know? Kelly has us on that upward incline of success.
But I remember being—the former players coming back and being around, right? So, I was like, oh, you know, it’s only three hours from Charlotte, but at the same time, that’s three hours. What happens if I’m right there, you know, and just being able to let the girls know, like, I’m here, you know? I’m not here to do anything but be here for you, you know, as a Summitt baby, I’m willing to learn and give those lessons. And they have that in their coach, but as a player, sometimes there’s a disconnect from player and coach, so I just wanted to be something outside of that current team, but knowing that I’m a part of that history and that legend and that sisterhood.
So, that was one of the factors. The other one was to leverage my name. I gave a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, and everything I had, you know, to the University of Tennessee and the Lady Vol program, my teammates, and coach. And I was like, you know, I can come back and do the same thing and have young girls and young boys willing and, ready not only to learn more about sports and life but be more aware of the seasons, and what’s happened in Tennessee and Tennessee athletics and realizing that these athletes struggle with the same things y’all do as kids. They have opportunities to help in the community and this is why, you know, if you have a desire to do that, here’s someone you can look up to and do that.
And I said, I can be one of those people and I can also be a bridge, you know? Julia, you’re great at doing that, at connecting people, and in the basketball world, we call it you know, facilitating point guards [through 00:13:16], right, so to me, that comes natural. And that was probably the second-biggest factor and it was a no-brainer, you know? There’s a lot of good trainers and coaches and organizations going around. I mean, I went to school with Bobby Maze. He has his own gym and program, B. MAZE ELITE.
So, you know, I gave him a helping hand for a few months when I first came down and it was—I came to help [laugh]. I came to serve others. Honestly, that was the ultimate decision. I wanted to make sure that I can be in a good mental space. I had at that time, teamed up with the Revitalist Clinic, and helped their mission to push mental health, and went through ketamine treatments. And it was life-changing, right? It changed my whole perspective on that type of therapy. And now just being involved and partnering with Onrise, another mental health organization, as you also know. So—
Julia: Oh, yeah. They’re very good. We’re very happy to have them in the Knoxville market. For sure.
Alexis: Oh, yeah. And I’m excited to be a part of that team. You know, of course, Derrick Furlow put me in a position to be able to do that, as he does so many other opportunities. And then just being here, Julia, it’s brought me to basketball. It’s brought me to personal training outside of athletes, you know, everyday people, moms, dads, elderly, I think my oldest client is 72 years old [laugh].
Julia: Oh, [laugh] that’s awesome.
Alexis: Yeah, works her butt off. But it’s just things like that, coming to serve the community, coming to serve others, making sure our state, you know, close—my parents or close, so home is close to me, you know, and being able to make sure that I continue to give all the praise and all the glory to God, and that’s how I live this life, man.
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Julia: I’m excited. We’re excited to have you in Knoxville. It is rare that students come back, and I know that it’s something that we’ve been working on, I’ve been working on it with Derrick for a long time, trying to get more of the teams and the athletes to want to stay. And as I own my own brokerage and own a couple of businesses, I’m like, “Hey, come work with me. Stay here. Let me get you more involved in the community.” Please stay. You’re young, you’re intelligent, you’re very disciplined. Stay. What can we do to get more people to stay, in your opinion, when they leave college, if they don’t go pro, what can we do to get him to stay in Knoxville?
Alexis: I think just the awareness of, these are the options that you have. And I know that there’s little things being done on the outside, but if there was something that every athlete kind of knew or kind of was—almost, this is the transition from collegiate athlete, whether you go pro or not, building that community, you know, like a retire—even though we’re not retired, but, like, a retired or a veteran, program. And there’s out there, and so we tap in, but there’s not one collectively where everybody knows about, right? Or, if it is, you know, it might be something you had to pay X amount of dollars and if I’m in between, you got to still remember, I’m a college student entering life. I may not have X amount of dollars to be a part of this community.
So, being able to find free avenues and just connecting dots, connecting people, connecting the Knox, like you do.
Julia: [laugh].
Alexis: [laugh]. But being able to do that. And keeping it out there circulating. You know, follow these athletes, follow these players that come back, let them know, reach out to them. If you don’t have their direct phone number or a way to contact them, social media is always going to be the best way. It might not get the fastest result but the messages will be seen and a response will be given if it’s approached in the right way.
So, I think just coming off and saying, “Hey, listen, I don’t want anything from you. I’m just letting you know, as an BFL, as an LVFL, this is what’s out here for you in Knoxville if you so choose to stay.” It’s bigger than sports, [unintelligible 00:17:21]—and Derrick can attest to this and if they don’t already know that, man, send them his way because, you know, that transitioning, he has a full curriculum on it, he wrote a book on it, he’s lived it. So, getting them connected with people and athletes who have been where they’re at and connecting that and then letting it just continue to filter out, you know, because networking is huge. And if you haven’t been taught that, then learning that as quickly as possible is a game-changer. It changes—
Julia: It is a game-changer. Knoxville offers so many opportunities for that. We’re such a big small town, or a small big town. I can’t decide which one it is, but we’re both.
Alexis: Yeah, I think we’re a small, big town. I think we’re a small, big town.
Julia: We’re a small, big town.
Alexis: Yeah.
Julia: [laugh]. So, something that everybody agrees on, every person that we’ve interviewed on this podcast so far agrees, Knoxville is the best for networking opportunities, still an intimate space, and many of the athletes—I’ve just interviewed Chris Lofton about an hour ago and he said the exact same thing. He’s like, “Listen, the name means something. When you’re here and you’re plugged in”—
Alexis: Absolutely.
Julia: —“You can do amazing things for other people just using your own name. You can do so much for other people.” So, Knoxville is one of those places that makes you feel like you not only belong, that you have ownership, you’re part of it, and you want to make it great. What changes have you seen Knoxville make that have been unbelievably, like, never imagined that would happen? And how do you feel like the future of Knoxville is going to stay moving forward?
Alexis: Well, honestly, everything’s changed when I came [laugh] back. I was like, “Wow, where am I?” But in a good way, you know? It’s just more modernized, it’s more up-to-date, more up-to-speed, and more visible. And I think that’s important because you can offer so many great things and if people don’t know about you, it doesn’t matter. You know that from a business perspective, and kids know that, and parents know that from a recruiting perspective if you live in smaller towns or states.
And just seeing the businesses that’s grown, you know, from the food and service industry to the commerce to the Strip is completely different, you know? And it’s starting to look and feel more like a downtown. Like, I live downtown, so you know, it feels more like that. It was very barren when I was in school, wasn’t a lot to really do… [laugh] there really wasn’t a lot to really do l[laugh]. And I was like, “Nope, it wasn’t.”
And I think that that’s a game-changer because now people—it’s more inviting, it’s more welcoming, people—there’s more things to do. We have great, you know, restaurants and shopping centers, you can eat great food with, you know, people who are invested into their craft. So, you got chefs who are very proud to say, “Hey, no, I am the top chef in East Tennessee when it comes to seafood. When it comes to this.” And when you get those people in their niches, in our little, big town city, it filters out all across the nation, you know?
Because people come in to visit their friends and their family or watch sporting events, and they’re trying these places and they’re bringing people back and they’re coming back and helping Knoxville grow. So, that has to continue to happen. And, you know, people follow athletes and actors and entertainers, so that’s one way for us to be able to utilize ourselves but also be used by others in collaboration and partnership and getting the word out and spreading it and pulling people back for whatever reasons, whether that’s for charities events because there’s a lot that happens in Knoxville and for great causes. What is—EDGE Foundation is one big one. And that’s—
Julia: Yeah we just did that together. We did the, um—
Alexis: Yeah, kickball.
Julia: —kickball with [Kurt 00:20:48] [laugh].
Alexis: The kickball with Kurt and friends.
Julia: That was fun. I got so sunburned [laugh].
Alexis: Did you? Yeah, no, I was—I don’t even know. I was living my best life. I had a great opportunity. But also, Julia, when you asked about what can be done to draw people—the athletes—back, it also comes to follow through because people get very excited, and people we call, you know, fanboy fangirlish, like, “Oh yeah, I would love to help you. I have this, I can do this, we can do this.”
And then the athlete reaches back and it’s a whole lot of, “Well, I got to look into this. I got to talk to this person. I got to do that.” So, just realizing that we are people with dreams as well, and goals and visions, so there’s no need to sell us on those dreams, on y’all’s dreams. There’s no need to, you know, beat around the bush.
If you can’t directly help, we would gladly accept just a direction. “Hey, I have a buddy. Hey, I have a friend of mine. My cousin does this.” You know what I’m saying? Whatever it is because we never mind doing the work.
Julia: Exactly.
Alexis: All you need to let us know what door to knock on and we’ll get in, once we’re in, you know?
Julia: You’ll figure it out.
Alexis: We’ll figure it out. Yeah.
Julia: You’ll figure it out.
Alexis: We’ll get the work done.
Julia: Athletes are the best. Athletes are the best employees. I’m such an advocate. I’m like, “Please give these athletes an opportunity to interview with your companies. Please let them know what you do, if they can do it too.” Like, I haven’t been I have a dream of, like, having an entire athlete agency at some point, millions of real estate agents, all athletes.
Alexis: Listen, it definitely can be done. And I think that’s a huge thing. So, don’t only just offer the help, actually give it or send them to somewhere where they can get it, even if it’s just a simple book or a reference, you know? Just continue to move us forward because once we get our hands on it or that door is open, we will definitely move the community forward or whatever project or sport forward. So.
Julia: Well, I tell people, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is the second largest world fan base in the world. Florida is number one—ehh [raspberry]—but that’s okay. Tennessee is number two in the world for the largest fan base. So, wherever you are in the world, look it up. There's an alumni there.
Alexis: Who’s number one?
Julia: Florida.
Alexis: Okay.
Julia: Gatorade. It’s the Gatorade. Everybody knows Gatorade. Anyway [laugh].
Alexis: That’s true. That’s true.
Julia: It’s the Gatorade. It’s not the Florida Gators. Nobody loves them. I’m kidding. Everybody loves them because they’re in the SEC and they make us money. We appreciate your hard work. But it’s Gatorade. But Tennessee is number two, so anywhere you see orange, there’s an alumni somewhere, and somebody from Knoxville, Tennessee, is always available to you. And I love that we’re such a big, small town. We’re very glad that you came back. So, lightning round—whoo—we’re going to go fast, but not too fast. Um, favorite restaurant Knoxville? And you can have more than one.
Alexis: I can have more than one? Okay. Oh man, favorite restaurant in Knoxville? Well, my favorite, um, I love Jackie’s Dream, not only because she—
Julia: Oh, God. I was just talking about them last night.
Alexis: Yeah. You know, that’s my home girl. That’s a [audio break 00:23:45] friend right there. So, that’s one of them. Man, you put me on the spot. I don’t even know. Chophouse. I love—I like going there a lot.
Julia: Chophouse is good. Chophouse is good.
Alexis: Yeah Chophouse is good. Chivo’s Taqueria. Yeah, like, Stock & Barrel burgers. It depends on where I’m going, you know? [unintelligible 00:24:01], I’m big on their brunch. Man, there’s a lot of little places.
Julia: Knoxville got a lot of food [laugh].
Alexis: Yeah it does.
Julia: What’s your favorite outdoor activity?
Alexis: Oh, my favorite outdoor activity would be, like, just being on a boat on a lake. Maybe jet skiing. Yeah.
Julia: Okay, which lake’s your favorite lake?
Alexis: Well, I’ve only been to—well, of course, I’ve been on Loudoun. And then, what’s the one… see, this is I how know I don’t be knowing stuff. You put me on the spot, Julia.
Julia: [laugh].
Alexis: Norris Lake. Norris Lake. [unintelligible 00:24:37] Norris Lake better.
Julia: The cleanest lake in this entire—you see all the way to the bottom.
Alexis: Yeah, Norris Lake I like.
Julia: Norris.
Alexis: I’m way more comfortable on Norris Lake. Yeah.
Julia: Yeah. Norris Lake is very, very clean. And very shallow. Only pontoon boats because it’s so shallow.
Alexis: Yeah.
Julia: But it’s a really beautiful lake.
Alexis: Yeah. It’s really—I [crosstalk 00:24:51] that.
Julia: Yeah. All right. Favorite bar, pub, or brewery.
Alexis: Oh bar, pub, or brewery? Big fan of Yee-Haw, shout-out—
Julia: Okay.
Alexis: That’s definitely, probably—that’s my little duck-off. I like that spot. They got good food, too. They got—
Julia: I’ve not been there yet. I haven’t had time.
Alexis: Favorite [unintelligible 00:25:11]—
Julia: I have not had the time.
Alexis: Go check them out. You should definitely check them out. Their outdoor space is amazing, they do Cinema Sundays where they, like, on their outdoor space, they—it’s free movies. Of course, there’s food. Then you got the bar. So, it’s family and dog-friendly.
Julia: Very important.
Alexis: Yeah. And then my all-in-one is if you want somewhere where the kids can go running around and still—or just go be a big kid, just go to Main Event.
Julia: Oh, I do love Main Event.
Alexis: Yeah.
Julia: Do love Main Event.
Alexis: Yeah.
Julia: That place is very interesting. I love it there. Their food’s actually not bad.
Alexis: No, no.
Julia: Not bad at all.
Alexis: Pretty good. It’s pretty good.
Julia: Pretty good. The pizza is not bad.
Alexis: Yeah.
Julia: Okay—
Alexis: I been a bartender there sometimes, so, you know.
Julia: Oh, well, we’ll have—you’ll have to text us and we’ll come over. You’ll have to tell us when you’re there.
Alexis: Perfect. Perfect.
Julia: Yeah, we will—because our office is just right down the road.
Alexis: I know. I know where you’re at [laugh].
Julia: [laugh]. We’ll pop over for, like, shooting—what is that? Laser tag?
Alexis: Laser tag, yeah.
Julia: Very fun.
Alexis: I get it in laser tag. All right.
Julia: [laugh]. All right. Um, best kept secret. So, if somebody from out of the area—so, like one of your old teammates or something comes and says, “Never been to Knoxville. Take me somewhere very cool.” Where would you take somebody that’s never been here for their first what—anything? Their first anything.
Alexis: Their first anything? Oh… oh, that’s a great question. [pause]. Because I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all. I think it depends on who’s visiting, for one. I’m very analytical, Julia, so—
Julia: Yeah, yeah.
Alexis: This is very—
Julia: I love it.
Alexis: This is [laugh] very hard for me. Um… hmmm, I’d probably take them to Chivo’s, and that’s because they have good food, solid drinks, the atmosphere is real chill, you’re downtown and you can kind of just figure out what move you’re going to make next, very comfortably. Nobody can be disappointed, from appetizers to the entrees to even the desserts. All their stuff is made with fresh ingredients. Can’t go wrong.
Julia: I love it. That’s a good suggestion. Everybody has a different place. Everybody I’ve interviewed has a different spot [unintelligible 00:27:20] people.
Alexis: Yeah.
Julia: Very eclectic group. All right. This is the end of our conversation, however, I want all of our listeners to be able to find you, follow you, and get to know your camps because it is very important to keep kids involved in sports. It gives them discipline it gives them opportunity, and when you see talent and is trained by talent, you can’t go wrong. Where can people find you? Where can they contact you? Where can they be involved?
Alexis: Absolutely. Y’all can follow me on Instagram buck1422. On Twitter Hornbuckle14. Facebook, it’s just simply [AlexisHornbuckle 00:27:49]. Reach out. You will be responded to by myself or somebody on my team.
Also, all summer long, you know, at 9 to 11 in the morning, YWCA Phyllis Wheatley, we’re doing skills lessons, okay? One hour ball handling, one hour shooting. It’s two separate. You don’t have to commit to both; you are more than welcome to. But we’re here to develop the kids. It does not matter your skill level, I guarantee I can teach you something, I guarantee we can add to your game and your life and way of thinking, so please reach out, and I look forward to working with y’all and y’all’s support. Thank you.
Julia: Listeners, again, Alexis Hornbuckle, the only champion that we’ve had to win college and WNBA in the same year, right here for your kids in Knoxville, Tennessee. If there’s anything that you need to know about the future, always visit us and give us a call. We’re so glad you joined us today on Connect the Knox, connecting Knoxville to the nation. Thanks, listeners.
Julia: Thank you for tuning into the show. Make sure to like and subscribe, leave a five-star review on your podcast player of choice, and if you would like information on moving to Knoxville, send me a private message. As always, this is Julia Hurley, connecting Knoxville to the nation.
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