Matt Kiatipis, known online as MK, said filming one-on-one basketball content in high-risk locations has forced him to rely on respect rather than ego to avoid violent confrontations.
Speaking on to Andrew Bachman on the Creators Think podcast, the basketball creator described traveling to dangerous areas, including favelas in Brazil, where he said armed teenagers lined the streets and created a tense environment, which later turned into a more relaxed trip.
“I put myself in those positions to learn more about humanity,” MK said, while explaining how those experiences shaped the way he handles conflict during his shoots.
MK said the lesson guiding him in volatile settings is simple. “Respect moves mountains. Ego gets you buried,” he said.
Describing one example, MK said he had to pass armed young men while heading to a house through a narrow alley. He said he chose to greet them and offer drinks instead of acting confrontational.
“So what I do, I went to the grocery store. I bought some drinks,” he said. “I look at them. I say, ‘Bongia, there you go.’ Smile on their face, guns go back to their hips, take the drink, move out of the way, and I go to my house.”
Bachman praised MK, noting, “What struck me when I first met you is you’re a nice guy. You are genuinely a nice kid. I don’t know if that’s the Canadian Toronto Greek thing in you, but when you watch your video, I mean, you’re so competitive.”
“The content is intense and your engagement is incredible.”
He also linked that mindset to a past basketball incident in Los Angeles, where he said a player punched him after an on-court exchange.
MK said the experience, which happened before later trips abroad, became an early warning about how quickly games can turn dangerous.
Since then, he said, he has competed in countries including Brazil, Spain, Italy, and Serbia, often in front of hostile crowds, while avoiding physical fights.
“There’s never a time now where I’m gonna fight anybody,” MK said.