Kori Ellis
02-17-2006, 11:15 PM
AVERY JOHNSON, Dallas Mavericks
Q. How do you feel about doing this so early in your head coaching career?
AVERY JOHNSON: Again, obviously, we know I'm in my first full year of coaching, and I'm flattered to be here. But again, I've been around the game for 17 or 18 years, so I'm not new to the NBA game. Obviously I'm new to participating in the All‑Star Game. I've been around a few of these All‑Star Weekends, but I'm honored to be here and that our team put us in position to qualify us to come to this game.
Q. How hard will it be to get players to play defensive? Will you even try?
AVERY JOHNSON: I just hope they don't embarrass themselves, and we'll try to help each other a little bit. I'm hoping that the game can be close around the last six minutes of the game, and then we'll encourage them to play some defense then.
For the most part it's a fan's game. The fans are not here for a low‑scoring game. They wants to see the game 140‑145 and hopefully in favor of the West.
Q. Who would you want to have the ball in the final few minutes?
AVERY JOHNSON: I haven't made that decision yet. I haven't made that decision yesterday.
We want to have fun and the local guys, hopefully they will look good. I do feel a sense of responsibility to all of their coaches so. We don't want to overuse anybody. Everybody has been asking me if I'm going to play Elton Brand 48 minutes because we play them on Tuesday. No, none of that. You know, no matter what kind of relationship I have with their coaches, I have a sense of responsibility to try to spread out the playing time.
Hopefully when we leave from here, everybody can leave healthy.
Q. What about your team, what makes you so proud about the team?
AVERY JOHNSON: Well, I think I asked them before the season, what do we really want to do, because we can do whatever they want to do. They want to try to put themselves in a position where they are one of the elite teams. Well, then I told them I had a formula to get there. I can't shoot the ball, dribble, but I do have a vision and I have participated on some really good teams: The '95 team here with the Spurs that was probably the best team I played on that didn't win the Championship, and the '99 team that won it. So I have an idea, participating on some good teams, of what it takes.
So I've given them some ideas and we've practiced some things on what it takes. But it's a daily responsibility to be good in our league. You can't do it one day and one night and then practice hard for a week and then take off for weeks. There is a certain way that you have to practice and play if you want to be a championship team. I've given them that formula, so it's just now a matter of consistency and consistent commitment, and we'll get there one day.
Q. So they understand that where you are now doesn't really mean that much?
AVERY JOHNSON: No, no. The rings that I got when I won a championship, they gave them out like around June 22nd. They didn't give them out February 16.
Q. What about the defining moments that sometimes happen in the course of a season, that loss at New York against the Knicks before that 13‑game win streak and when you made that change at center, is that one of those moments that you look back on and say, hey, things turned around?
AVERY JOHNSON: That's one of them. I think that you have several during the course of the season. We had one where we allowed GoldenState to come into our house and score 113 points on us. One was against the Knicks and one was when we beat Toronto in Toronto, and Jason Terry hit that big shot.
Early in the season, our first game when we played Phoenix and won on the road in double or triple overtime or whatever it was. You can have different defining moments. We've had a situation where I had a major argument with one of my players, and we were able to patch it back up together in front of the team.
So I think that you have a lot of different defining moments.
RAY ALLEN, Seattle Supersonics
Q: What are your thoughts on seeing Rip Hamilton here in the game?
Allen: I’m happy for him. He’s definitely carrying the tradition of the UConn program deep in the NBA. We all are proud of the schools we went to, so it’s definitely great to see him because he was a young fellow when I left school and he’s doing great in the league now.
Q: If you had a chance to change anything about your experience in the NBA what would you change?
Allen: I wouldn’t change anything. Everything I know now, the pitfalls, the highs and lows, everything. It taught me and made me stronger.
Q: Is this weekend different at all from past All-Star weekends?
Allen: It’s the same. It’s definitely the same. We could be in L.A. , we could be in Denver , we could be anywhere because the setup is all the same.
Q: Can you talk about the departure of Vladimir Radmanovic?
Allen: It definitely didn’t help us. But Vladi, when he plays his best basketball he helps us. I think he got in a situation sometimes where he put so much pressure on himself contractually, not having signed a contract this year and then now being in the situation where he didn’t know exactly what he was contributing and how he needed to contribute. He was stuck in the mud a little bit, just frustrated and trying to figure out how is was going to contribute. So just having the change of scenery for him will hopefully do him well and he’ll step up and hopefully get that same contract he came off of.
Q: How do you think getting Chris Wilcox is going to work out?
Allen: I don’t know. I know that Wilcox is more of a rebounder, more of a post player and we’ve struggled a little bit on rebounding. So definitely I think that will benefit us.
ELTON BRAND, Los Angeles Clippers
Q. Do you think people believe in you (L.A. Clippers) yet?
Brand: Yea, I think people are believing it now. Once we had that lull, and lost six out of nine, people were starting to say, “Same old Clippers.” But once we corrected the ship and won 10 out of 12, I think people really started to believe.
Q. How much of a learning experience was it for you, starting out as a young player with the Bulls?
Brand: It was a great learning experience. Jerry Krause, I thank him for the opportunity, for drafting me. I got to take big shots, I got to take shots … I see rookies on my team and they don’t get to shoot. (Laughs). Ron Artest, myself – we were put in the fire. Patrick Ewing , Alonzo Mourning – we were playing against all the top players at 19, 20 years old, and that was a great help.”
Q. Sitting here as an All-Star, can you still be qualified as underrated?
Brand: I think that might have been, in the past – being on teams that weren’t winning. And they understood that “Hey, this guy comes to work and gives us numbers every night. So the team might not be winning, but this is a good solid player.” But I don’t know if I can qualify as underrated anymore.
KOBE BRYANT, Los Angeles Lakers
Question: How does it feel to be back in the All-Star Game?
Bryant: It’s fun and exciting. It never gets old. It’s such a great event and such a beautiful game. It feels great to be a part of it. I always look forward to it.
Question: This year, Tracy McGrady’s playing the game at home. Having played in an All-Star Game at home, do you think a player gives a special effort when playing on their homecourt?
Bryant: I think so. I think you have to represent your city and your organization. Tracy’s been a good friend of mine for a long, long time, and I look forward to him putting on a good show.
Question: Do the players try and set the stage for the hometown guy?
Bryant: Yeah, you just look for him. You make sure you take care of him.
Question: What do you think it will take for a player to one day break the 100-point barrier?
Bryant: A lot of shots and a lot of makes. High-quality shots. You’d have to get to the free throw line a lot as well.
Question: Are you looking forward to playing against Allen Iverson?
Bryant: Absolutely. He plays hard all the time. You can’t say that about too many players, but he plays hard all the time. He competes extremely well. I look forward to playing against him. You know he’s going to compete no matter if it’s the All-Star Game, on the playground, or versus the Lakers. He’s going to compete hard.
Question: With five seven-footers on the team, any chance your team would put them on the court together at the same time?
Bryant: I think we did that one time when I think Coach [Don] Nelson was the coach. It looked pretty crazy. But Kevin [Garnett] can play four or five positions. It’s amazing to think of the skill level – the size and the versatility of some of these players
TIM DUNCAN, San Antonio Spurs
Question: Yet another All-Star Game, does it ever get boring?
Duncan: No, it’s always a lot of fun. It’s always a lot of fun to be here and to be a part of this team. It’s always an honor to be a part of this team. Obviously, we had a lot of guys around the league playing great basketball and it’s just good to be here.
Question: Talk about the Western Conference, has it gone the way you expected?
Duncan: Yeah, more or less. You got some teams that are struggling; you got some teams that you didn’t know were going to be there, for example New Orleans. It has gone basically how I expected it to go; I think Dallas improved a great amount. And they’re leading the West right now, and we’re right behind them, so it’s going to be a great second half of the year.
Question: Does it surprise you at all to see the Rockets at the bottom of the division?
Duncan: It doesn’t surprise me, because of the injuries that they have sustained. I actually watched the game last night, and heard them say the number of games Tracy [McGrady] and Yao [Ming], and everyone else have played actually on the court together. It is kind of amazing they are where they are, but I could see them turning it around in the second half of the season. It’s going to be tough to get back in the race, but I think if they can stay healthy they can get right back in it.
Question: Have you asked Avery [Johnson] to give you a light run?
Duncan: I’m going to enjoy Avery, I don’t care where I’m at, whether I’m on the floor, hopefully I’ll be sitting next to him most of the time. I am just going to enjoy listening to him for a little while, haven’t been beside him for so long, it’s just going to be fun being around him.
Question: Last year, Gregg Popovich was your All-Star coach, and now you have a former teammate.
Duncan: Yeah, it’s a good setup. I got a good thing going here. A couple of coaches that have been with us the last couple of years, guys I’ve been around.
Question: Are you going to know something is up if Avery plays you 35 minutes?
Duncan: I think Pop threatened him with bodily harm if I get over a certain amount of minutes. (Laughter)
KEVIN GARNETT, Minnesota Timberwolves
Q. Can you talk about Yao's impact on the game?
KEVIN GARNETT: His impact has been just that. I think not just talking about the size, but it helps that China is one of the biggest countries out there, but the fact that the kid can play and he has a lot of talent. He does have the whole country on his back and he does represent that.
So I think not only that, but with the help of Dirk, those international players, Tony Parker, it's making the game a lot more international.
Q. When you come to the All‑Star Game, do you trade jerseys for each other's shoes and stuff like that?
KEVIN GARNETT: We mix up everything. Back when Gary (Payton) was an All‑Star, I know he would go around and trade jerseys with guys, name tags, shoes. There's a lot of things that's available here at the All‑Star Game that's not even available throughout the year. The All‑Star socks, the different stuff that they give us. It's a special time.
Q. Do you collect or keep some of your own stuff, like basketball cards or trade with some other guys?
KEVIN GARNETT: No. You know, I try to savor each year. Everybody is getting better. I think that's apparent this year. No guarantee that you're going to be in the next one. What I try and do, I just save all the memorabilia I can.
I'm trying to think, as you would ask me the question, the last person I might have traded with might have been Gary. All of the jerseys I have are framed and I keep it to myself. Some day when I have kids, I'll reflect back on those guys.
Q. Have you seen the All‑Star Game change over the years since you've been involved?
KEVIN GARNETT: Changed in what way?
Q. More of a Super Bowl build‑up to the game?
KEVIN GARNETT: It's huge. There's definitely a sense of an awards show, or it's definitely on the sense of Oscaresque. They have a lot of attention, a lot of celebrities, a lot of hot things going on for the weekend. It's three or four days, but it's a huge, huge weekend, and it's a weekend to not only be seen, but I'm sure a lot of people want to be seen with somebody. It's never been a dull moment, I can tell you that.
Q. Do you still get the same excitement, feeling, coming to the All‑Star Weekend?
KEVIN GARNETT: Definitely. To come to the All‑Stars, just to be recognized, that's a privilege. I take it like, only so many people can obviously be here and with so many guys having great years. I'm blessed. Every time I'm here, I always enjoy myself. I don't think about all of the couldabeens and shouldabeens. I'm here and I enjoy it.
PAU GASOL, Memphis Grizzlies
Question: How does it feel to be amongst the greatest players in the world?
Gasol: It’s very exciting. It’s been really great. I’m just trying to enjoy it as much as you can. Right now I’m doing a lot of interviews, photo shoots and stuff like that, but I think the real fun will come later.
Question: When you came into the league, what was your timetable for becoming an All-Star?
Gasol: I always hoped that some day I would make it, but I never had any timetable. I knew how hard it was to make it, so I’m just enjoying the fact that I made it this year. I’m really thankful and having a great time.
Question: How is this different than the Rookie/Sophomore game experience?
Gasol: This is the real deal. This is the highest level you can get to, and the honor and recognition is very special.
Question: Do you ever think what would have happened to you if Atlanta had not traded you to Memphis?
Gasol: I don’t know what would’ve happened if I was playing in Atlanta. I know that I would have worked as hard as I have during my whole career, but I’m just fortunate for the way everything has gone for me. I’m very proud of how my career has gone.
Question: Who’s harder on you, fans from Spain or fans from Memphis?
Gasol: All of the fans are demanding and all want me to do well. Maybe they’re demanding in a different way. The Spanish fans have a different feeling. They’re more intense about me. They expect me to do great because I’m the big, big player from there
SHAWN MARION, Phoenix Suns
Q: Can you talk about how this team is not letting the loss of Amare Stoudemire slow things down?
Marion: People know this is a team that’s going to go out there and compete every night we step on the floor, whether we have Amare or not. Obviously, we’d love to have him, but we’re always going to compete.
Q: At 6-7, what makes you such a great rebounder?
Marion: I want to get it, but I also have a knack for anticipating where the ball is going to come off the rim. I also have the determination to go out there and do it. I take pride, because when you’re in a close game that comes down to the last few possessions, often the game can be decided by a key rebound, and I try to be the guy who gets that rebound.
Q: How pleased are you with your defensive effort this year?
Marion: I think it has to do with the whole team. It’s not just me. Everybody accepted the challenge of trying to go out there and stop people.
Q: Talk about the season Steve Nash is having.
Marion: Steve continues to play some amazing ball for us. He leads the way, and the rest of us do our parts.
Q: Talk about how this team has adjusted to new players in the mix.
Marion: The new guys have been great. For us to gel so quickly, it’s been a real great thing for us. This team really gets along and enjoys playing together.
TRACY MCGRADY, Houston Rockets
Q: Are your personal issues getting to you?
McGrady: I have to deal with it, the problems that I'm having. It took a lot for me to come down here. There is a lot going on in my life, but this is what's best for this city and this league. I'm the host of sorts. Hopefully, I can enjoy myself this weekend and get away from it a little.
Q: Can you shed any light on what those personal issues are?
McGrady: I can't, I can't. You know how private and personal I am and I'm going to continue to keep it that way. I'm human. I'm going through some things in my life. I'm just trying t deal with it the best way that I can.
Q: Did the NBA make you come here?
McGrady: It was the best thing for me. I realize that this is in the city I perform in every night so I thought it is best to come out and be around these guys and let you guys know what is going on with me. It's pretty much taken my mind off some of things I've been dealing with lately.
Q: How hard has it been to focus on basketball considering what you are going through?
McGrady: It's tough. At times I don't even want to be in the arena or in uniform. It's just been so frustrating and hard to deal with. In the past, I usually do a good job of keeping things to myself and doing a good job of not letting things affect. This weight just got too heavy for me to resolve on my own.
Q: Are you close to resolving the issue?
McGrady: It's going to take some time and I know everyone is like, 'what is wrong with this guy?' It's going to take some time to resolve, it is.
YAO MING, Houston Rockets
Q: How did it feel to be the leading vote getter this year?
Yao: It is a great honor. I know that the Chinese people are big basketball fans now and they played a big part in my votes.
Q: Who are you looking forward to playing against?
Yao: Shaq. We don't get to play against one another very often.
Q: Why do you like playing in the All-Star game?
Yao: I think the best is that the All-Star (Game) is not about shooting free-throws.
Q: Is that a message to the referees?
Yao: That's not a question for me.
Q: How tough was last night's game and how hard is it heading into the break on that note?
Yao: It's really tough. We played pretty well over the last ten games. We're looking forward to get back into the playoff race. Yesterday was a step back for us. We just gave up a game.
Q: What happened defensively last night?
Yao: I don't know. We'll have to look at the film after the weekend. They kept getting into the paint and hitting their outside shots.
Q: What is it like having the All-Star Game in your own town?
Yao: I know where I can find fun because this is my home town.
Q: Are you getting use to the media attention?
Yao: Yeah, it's getting a lot easier. You just get use to it.
STEVE NASH, Phoenix Suns
Q: Can you talk about the team having 29 wins two years ago and now you’ve been one of the best teams in the NBA the past two years. How tough is it to make that kind of jump?
Nash: It’s hard to say because when you are doing it it’s hard to count in all the factors. And I wasn’t here before when the team did win 29 games, so I don’t really know exactly the depth of the team at that point. But I will say that it takes a lot of unselfishness, a lot of mental toughness. You can’t go from being an unsuccessful team to a successful team without having a certain amount of selflessness and toughness so I think our team has done that.
Q: Did the attitude have to change? Did you sense that the losing attitude had to be thrown away?
Nash: Definitely. I think teams need to learn how to win. Unfortunately, like I said, I wasn’t here before so I had the attitude of winning coming from a terrific Dallas team. And some of my teammates were ready, after being beaten up a little bit they definitely were ready. It was a team transition to start feeling like we were going to win close games.
Q: Do you think Mike D’Antoni has gotten enough credit for making the proper adjustments without Amare Stoudemire?
Nash: Probably not. I think he deserves all the credit in the world. He does an incredible job of putting us in the right position to succeed and I think a lot of times it looks like we’re out there just playing so people maybe don’t necessarily give him the credit. But it’s very calculated. The way we play, the way he coaches, the way he teaches us to play the game. Not only is it a lot of fun for the fans and for us to play, but it’s successful. And I think it’s the most successful way for our team to play. I think he deserves all the credit in the world.
Q: How is it different than playing for other coaches?
Nash: It’s not a huge change from playing with Nellie. But at the same time, Mike even expanded the freedom and the ball movement and the ability to play the game with the responsibility on the players’ shoulders. I think that’s what makes us difficult to defend. Although we are scripted, we definitely want to read and make decisions on the fly that make us unpredictable.
DIRK NOWITZKI, Dallas Mavericks
Question: Talk about the tight race between you and the Spurs?
Nowitzki: Usually the regular season is not that important, because eight teams from each conference make the playoffs. If you lose a game here or there it doesn’t really matter that much, but if you look at it this year every loss can really come back at the end to hurt you. You have to bring your A-game every night, and you have to compete on the highest level every night, and try to win every night. The whole division we’re in its tough, with Memphis and New Orleans playing well.
Question: You guys are rolling along so well right now, can you get excited for the All-Star game?
Nowitzki: (Laughter) I guess so, I think it’s a long season and everybody needs a little break and needs to get away from stuff. I’m sure once we get back, Avery [Johnson] will get us right back into things and get us focused again. It’s good to get a little break and it’s a good position to be in.
Question: Is there anything you are looking forward to doing or seeing this weekend?
Nowitzki: I’ve been around the All-Star game a couple of times now. The good thing is to see Steve [Nash] again and his kids and his family and spend some time with them and that’s about all I have planned.
Question: If you could play with any other player, who would it be?
Nowitzki: That’s a tough question. I think obviously the most dominant to me is still Shaq, he’s a big body that nobody can really matchup with. And perimeter-wise, it’s got to be Kobe with the year he’s having. It’s tremendous the way he’s scoring, we gave up 62 in three quarters and it was amazing.
Question: Any surprise to see the Rockets at the bottom of the division?
Nowitzki: They have had a lot of injury problems, Yao was out for a while and T-Mac had those back spasms going. Obviously if your two superstars are out for a while that’s tough to stay in a position to win games and come through. But I think they will come around, they are too good of a team and their superstars, if they stay healthy, are too good to be down there. Our division has been very tough, when Houston is playing tough in their games, New Orleans, Memphis, us and San Antonio, it’s a fun division to be in. You have to play every night
TONY PARKER, San Antonio Spurs
Q: Have you ever experienced a season where regular season games meant so much?
Parker: I think it's great. It makes our team improve faster. We need to play better and we can't waste games the way we did the last two seasons. We have to understand that Dallas is for real. Avery (Johnson) is a good coach and he knows our playbook by heart. It's going to be a tough race because if we don't finish first, then we're going to be the fourth seed. We just have to understand we have to play better starting right now.
Q: What are some of the differences between the Mavericks now and in years past?
Parker: Avery Johnson. Coaching, he makes them understand that they have to play defense to win games. Dirk (Nowitzki) is getting better and better and now he has help in Josh Howard and Jason Terry. The supporting cast around him is good.
Q: What does it say about the Western Conference that it has two teams (Dallas and San Antonio) that were able to have long winning streaks in the first half of the season?
Parker: I think it makes us better. Anytime you have competition, it's good. It brings the best out of you. We know Dallas is good and it makes us focus on every game.
Q: What does it say about the International Game that so many European players are here this weekend?
Parker: I just think it proves that International Basketball is getting better and better. We're improving every year. I think the (United) States are still the best, but we will keep trying to catch up. I think in the next 10-15 years you are going to see more and more European players.
Q: What do you think about the Pistons having four players on the East team?
Parker: I think they deserve it. Ben Wallace, no question, Chauncey (Billups) and Richard (Hamilton), that was their first selection and they deserve it. Rasheed (Wallace), he killed us both games so I'm happy he got it because he played well against us. I think all four deserve it, they are playing very well this year.
Q. How do you feel about doing this so early in your head coaching career?
AVERY JOHNSON: Again, obviously, we know I'm in my first full year of coaching, and I'm flattered to be here. But again, I've been around the game for 17 or 18 years, so I'm not new to the NBA game. Obviously I'm new to participating in the All‑Star Game. I've been around a few of these All‑Star Weekends, but I'm honored to be here and that our team put us in position to qualify us to come to this game.
Q. How hard will it be to get players to play defensive? Will you even try?
AVERY JOHNSON: I just hope they don't embarrass themselves, and we'll try to help each other a little bit. I'm hoping that the game can be close around the last six minutes of the game, and then we'll encourage them to play some defense then.
For the most part it's a fan's game. The fans are not here for a low‑scoring game. They wants to see the game 140‑145 and hopefully in favor of the West.
Q. Who would you want to have the ball in the final few minutes?
AVERY JOHNSON: I haven't made that decision yet. I haven't made that decision yesterday.
We want to have fun and the local guys, hopefully they will look good. I do feel a sense of responsibility to all of their coaches so. We don't want to overuse anybody. Everybody has been asking me if I'm going to play Elton Brand 48 minutes because we play them on Tuesday. No, none of that. You know, no matter what kind of relationship I have with their coaches, I have a sense of responsibility to try to spread out the playing time.
Hopefully when we leave from here, everybody can leave healthy.
Q. What about your team, what makes you so proud about the team?
AVERY JOHNSON: Well, I think I asked them before the season, what do we really want to do, because we can do whatever they want to do. They want to try to put themselves in a position where they are one of the elite teams. Well, then I told them I had a formula to get there. I can't shoot the ball, dribble, but I do have a vision and I have participated on some really good teams: The '95 team here with the Spurs that was probably the best team I played on that didn't win the Championship, and the '99 team that won it. So I have an idea, participating on some good teams, of what it takes.
So I've given them some ideas and we've practiced some things on what it takes. But it's a daily responsibility to be good in our league. You can't do it one day and one night and then practice hard for a week and then take off for weeks. There is a certain way that you have to practice and play if you want to be a championship team. I've given them that formula, so it's just now a matter of consistency and consistent commitment, and we'll get there one day.
Q. So they understand that where you are now doesn't really mean that much?
AVERY JOHNSON: No, no. The rings that I got when I won a championship, they gave them out like around June 22nd. They didn't give them out February 16.
Q. What about the defining moments that sometimes happen in the course of a season, that loss at New York against the Knicks before that 13‑game win streak and when you made that change at center, is that one of those moments that you look back on and say, hey, things turned around?
AVERY JOHNSON: That's one of them. I think that you have several during the course of the season. We had one where we allowed GoldenState to come into our house and score 113 points on us. One was against the Knicks and one was when we beat Toronto in Toronto, and Jason Terry hit that big shot.
Early in the season, our first game when we played Phoenix and won on the road in double or triple overtime or whatever it was. You can have different defining moments. We've had a situation where I had a major argument with one of my players, and we were able to patch it back up together in front of the team.
So I think that you have a lot of different defining moments.
RAY ALLEN, Seattle Supersonics
Q: What are your thoughts on seeing Rip Hamilton here in the game?
Allen: I’m happy for him. He’s definitely carrying the tradition of the UConn program deep in the NBA. We all are proud of the schools we went to, so it’s definitely great to see him because he was a young fellow when I left school and he’s doing great in the league now.
Q: If you had a chance to change anything about your experience in the NBA what would you change?
Allen: I wouldn’t change anything. Everything I know now, the pitfalls, the highs and lows, everything. It taught me and made me stronger.
Q: Is this weekend different at all from past All-Star weekends?
Allen: It’s the same. It’s definitely the same. We could be in L.A. , we could be in Denver , we could be anywhere because the setup is all the same.
Q: Can you talk about the departure of Vladimir Radmanovic?
Allen: It definitely didn’t help us. But Vladi, when he plays his best basketball he helps us. I think he got in a situation sometimes where he put so much pressure on himself contractually, not having signed a contract this year and then now being in the situation where he didn’t know exactly what he was contributing and how he needed to contribute. He was stuck in the mud a little bit, just frustrated and trying to figure out how is was going to contribute. So just having the change of scenery for him will hopefully do him well and he’ll step up and hopefully get that same contract he came off of.
Q: How do you think getting Chris Wilcox is going to work out?
Allen: I don’t know. I know that Wilcox is more of a rebounder, more of a post player and we’ve struggled a little bit on rebounding. So definitely I think that will benefit us.
ELTON BRAND, Los Angeles Clippers
Q. Do you think people believe in you (L.A. Clippers) yet?
Brand: Yea, I think people are believing it now. Once we had that lull, and lost six out of nine, people were starting to say, “Same old Clippers.” But once we corrected the ship and won 10 out of 12, I think people really started to believe.
Q. How much of a learning experience was it for you, starting out as a young player with the Bulls?
Brand: It was a great learning experience. Jerry Krause, I thank him for the opportunity, for drafting me. I got to take big shots, I got to take shots … I see rookies on my team and they don’t get to shoot. (Laughs). Ron Artest, myself – we were put in the fire. Patrick Ewing , Alonzo Mourning – we were playing against all the top players at 19, 20 years old, and that was a great help.”
Q. Sitting here as an All-Star, can you still be qualified as underrated?
Brand: I think that might have been, in the past – being on teams that weren’t winning. And they understood that “Hey, this guy comes to work and gives us numbers every night. So the team might not be winning, but this is a good solid player.” But I don’t know if I can qualify as underrated anymore.
KOBE BRYANT, Los Angeles Lakers
Question: How does it feel to be back in the All-Star Game?
Bryant: It’s fun and exciting. It never gets old. It’s such a great event and such a beautiful game. It feels great to be a part of it. I always look forward to it.
Question: This year, Tracy McGrady’s playing the game at home. Having played in an All-Star Game at home, do you think a player gives a special effort when playing on their homecourt?
Bryant: I think so. I think you have to represent your city and your organization. Tracy’s been a good friend of mine for a long, long time, and I look forward to him putting on a good show.
Question: Do the players try and set the stage for the hometown guy?
Bryant: Yeah, you just look for him. You make sure you take care of him.
Question: What do you think it will take for a player to one day break the 100-point barrier?
Bryant: A lot of shots and a lot of makes. High-quality shots. You’d have to get to the free throw line a lot as well.
Question: Are you looking forward to playing against Allen Iverson?
Bryant: Absolutely. He plays hard all the time. You can’t say that about too many players, but he plays hard all the time. He competes extremely well. I look forward to playing against him. You know he’s going to compete no matter if it’s the All-Star Game, on the playground, or versus the Lakers. He’s going to compete hard.
Question: With five seven-footers on the team, any chance your team would put them on the court together at the same time?
Bryant: I think we did that one time when I think Coach [Don] Nelson was the coach. It looked pretty crazy. But Kevin [Garnett] can play four or five positions. It’s amazing to think of the skill level – the size and the versatility of some of these players
TIM DUNCAN, San Antonio Spurs
Question: Yet another All-Star Game, does it ever get boring?
Duncan: No, it’s always a lot of fun. It’s always a lot of fun to be here and to be a part of this team. It’s always an honor to be a part of this team. Obviously, we had a lot of guys around the league playing great basketball and it’s just good to be here.
Question: Talk about the Western Conference, has it gone the way you expected?
Duncan: Yeah, more or less. You got some teams that are struggling; you got some teams that you didn’t know were going to be there, for example New Orleans. It has gone basically how I expected it to go; I think Dallas improved a great amount. And they’re leading the West right now, and we’re right behind them, so it’s going to be a great second half of the year.
Question: Does it surprise you at all to see the Rockets at the bottom of the division?
Duncan: It doesn’t surprise me, because of the injuries that they have sustained. I actually watched the game last night, and heard them say the number of games Tracy [McGrady] and Yao [Ming], and everyone else have played actually on the court together. It is kind of amazing they are where they are, but I could see them turning it around in the second half of the season. It’s going to be tough to get back in the race, but I think if they can stay healthy they can get right back in it.
Question: Have you asked Avery [Johnson] to give you a light run?
Duncan: I’m going to enjoy Avery, I don’t care where I’m at, whether I’m on the floor, hopefully I’ll be sitting next to him most of the time. I am just going to enjoy listening to him for a little while, haven’t been beside him for so long, it’s just going to be fun being around him.
Question: Last year, Gregg Popovich was your All-Star coach, and now you have a former teammate.
Duncan: Yeah, it’s a good setup. I got a good thing going here. A couple of coaches that have been with us the last couple of years, guys I’ve been around.
Question: Are you going to know something is up if Avery plays you 35 minutes?
Duncan: I think Pop threatened him with bodily harm if I get over a certain amount of minutes. (Laughter)
KEVIN GARNETT, Minnesota Timberwolves
Q. Can you talk about Yao's impact on the game?
KEVIN GARNETT: His impact has been just that. I think not just talking about the size, but it helps that China is one of the biggest countries out there, but the fact that the kid can play and he has a lot of talent. He does have the whole country on his back and he does represent that.
So I think not only that, but with the help of Dirk, those international players, Tony Parker, it's making the game a lot more international.
Q. When you come to the All‑Star Game, do you trade jerseys for each other's shoes and stuff like that?
KEVIN GARNETT: We mix up everything. Back when Gary (Payton) was an All‑Star, I know he would go around and trade jerseys with guys, name tags, shoes. There's a lot of things that's available here at the All‑Star Game that's not even available throughout the year. The All‑Star socks, the different stuff that they give us. It's a special time.
Q. Do you collect or keep some of your own stuff, like basketball cards or trade with some other guys?
KEVIN GARNETT: No. You know, I try to savor each year. Everybody is getting better. I think that's apparent this year. No guarantee that you're going to be in the next one. What I try and do, I just save all the memorabilia I can.
I'm trying to think, as you would ask me the question, the last person I might have traded with might have been Gary. All of the jerseys I have are framed and I keep it to myself. Some day when I have kids, I'll reflect back on those guys.
Q. Have you seen the All‑Star Game change over the years since you've been involved?
KEVIN GARNETT: Changed in what way?
Q. More of a Super Bowl build‑up to the game?
KEVIN GARNETT: It's huge. There's definitely a sense of an awards show, or it's definitely on the sense of Oscaresque. They have a lot of attention, a lot of celebrities, a lot of hot things going on for the weekend. It's three or four days, but it's a huge, huge weekend, and it's a weekend to not only be seen, but I'm sure a lot of people want to be seen with somebody. It's never been a dull moment, I can tell you that.
Q. Do you still get the same excitement, feeling, coming to the All‑Star Weekend?
KEVIN GARNETT: Definitely. To come to the All‑Stars, just to be recognized, that's a privilege. I take it like, only so many people can obviously be here and with so many guys having great years. I'm blessed. Every time I'm here, I always enjoy myself. I don't think about all of the couldabeens and shouldabeens. I'm here and I enjoy it.
PAU GASOL, Memphis Grizzlies
Question: How does it feel to be amongst the greatest players in the world?
Gasol: It’s very exciting. It’s been really great. I’m just trying to enjoy it as much as you can. Right now I’m doing a lot of interviews, photo shoots and stuff like that, but I think the real fun will come later.
Question: When you came into the league, what was your timetable for becoming an All-Star?
Gasol: I always hoped that some day I would make it, but I never had any timetable. I knew how hard it was to make it, so I’m just enjoying the fact that I made it this year. I’m really thankful and having a great time.
Question: How is this different than the Rookie/Sophomore game experience?
Gasol: This is the real deal. This is the highest level you can get to, and the honor and recognition is very special.
Question: Do you ever think what would have happened to you if Atlanta had not traded you to Memphis?
Gasol: I don’t know what would’ve happened if I was playing in Atlanta. I know that I would have worked as hard as I have during my whole career, but I’m just fortunate for the way everything has gone for me. I’m very proud of how my career has gone.
Question: Who’s harder on you, fans from Spain or fans from Memphis?
Gasol: All of the fans are demanding and all want me to do well. Maybe they’re demanding in a different way. The Spanish fans have a different feeling. They’re more intense about me. They expect me to do great because I’m the big, big player from there
SHAWN MARION, Phoenix Suns
Q: Can you talk about how this team is not letting the loss of Amare Stoudemire slow things down?
Marion: People know this is a team that’s going to go out there and compete every night we step on the floor, whether we have Amare or not. Obviously, we’d love to have him, but we’re always going to compete.
Q: At 6-7, what makes you such a great rebounder?
Marion: I want to get it, but I also have a knack for anticipating where the ball is going to come off the rim. I also have the determination to go out there and do it. I take pride, because when you’re in a close game that comes down to the last few possessions, often the game can be decided by a key rebound, and I try to be the guy who gets that rebound.
Q: How pleased are you with your defensive effort this year?
Marion: I think it has to do with the whole team. It’s not just me. Everybody accepted the challenge of trying to go out there and stop people.
Q: Talk about the season Steve Nash is having.
Marion: Steve continues to play some amazing ball for us. He leads the way, and the rest of us do our parts.
Q: Talk about how this team has adjusted to new players in the mix.
Marion: The new guys have been great. For us to gel so quickly, it’s been a real great thing for us. This team really gets along and enjoys playing together.
TRACY MCGRADY, Houston Rockets
Q: Are your personal issues getting to you?
McGrady: I have to deal with it, the problems that I'm having. It took a lot for me to come down here. There is a lot going on in my life, but this is what's best for this city and this league. I'm the host of sorts. Hopefully, I can enjoy myself this weekend and get away from it a little.
Q: Can you shed any light on what those personal issues are?
McGrady: I can't, I can't. You know how private and personal I am and I'm going to continue to keep it that way. I'm human. I'm going through some things in my life. I'm just trying t deal with it the best way that I can.
Q: Did the NBA make you come here?
McGrady: It was the best thing for me. I realize that this is in the city I perform in every night so I thought it is best to come out and be around these guys and let you guys know what is going on with me. It's pretty much taken my mind off some of things I've been dealing with lately.
Q: How hard has it been to focus on basketball considering what you are going through?
McGrady: It's tough. At times I don't even want to be in the arena or in uniform. It's just been so frustrating and hard to deal with. In the past, I usually do a good job of keeping things to myself and doing a good job of not letting things affect. This weight just got too heavy for me to resolve on my own.
Q: Are you close to resolving the issue?
McGrady: It's going to take some time and I know everyone is like, 'what is wrong with this guy?' It's going to take some time to resolve, it is.
YAO MING, Houston Rockets
Q: How did it feel to be the leading vote getter this year?
Yao: It is a great honor. I know that the Chinese people are big basketball fans now and they played a big part in my votes.
Q: Who are you looking forward to playing against?
Yao: Shaq. We don't get to play against one another very often.
Q: Why do you like playing in the All-Star game?
Yao: I think the best is that the All-Star (Game) is not about shooting free-throws.
Q: Is that a message to the referees?
Yao: That's not a question for me.
Q: How tough was last night's game and how hard is it heading into the break on that note?
Yao: It's really tough. We played pretty well over the last ten games. We're looking forward to get back into the playoff race. Yesterday was a step back for us. We just gave up a game.
Q: What happened defensively last night?
Yao: I don't know. We'll have to look at the film after the weekend. They kept getting into the paint and hitting their outside shots.
Q: What is it like having the All-Star Game in your own town?
Yao: I know where I can find fun because this is my home town.
Q: Are you getting use to the media attention?
Yao: Yeah, it's getting a lot easier. You just get use to it.
STEVE NASH, Phoenix Suns
Q: Can you talk about the team having 29 wins two years ago and now you’ve been one of the best teams in the NBA the past two years. How tough is it to make that kind of jump?
Nash: It’s hard to say because when you are doing it it’s hard to count in all the factors. And I wasn’t here before when the team did win 29 games, so I don’t really know exactly the depth of the team at that point. But I will say that it takes a lot of unselfishness, a lot of mental toughness. You can’t go from being an unsuccessful team to a successful team without having a certain amount of selflessness and toughness so I think our team has done that.
Q: Did the attitude have to change? Did you sense that the losing attitude had to be thrown away?
Nash: Definitely. I think teams need to learn how to win. Unfortunately, like I said, I wasn’t here before so I had the attitude of winning coming from a terrific Dallas team. And some of my teammates were ready, after being beaten up a little bit they definitely were ready. It was a team transition to start feeling like we were going to win close games.
Q: Do you think Mike D’Antoni has gotten enough credit for making the proper adjustments without Amare Stoudemire?
Nash: Probably not. I think he deserves all the credit in the world. He does an incredible job of putting us in the right position to succeed and I think a lot of times it looks like we’re out there just playing so people maybe don’t necessarily give him the credit. But it’s very calculated. The way we play, the way he coaches, the way he teaches us to play the game. Not only is it a lot of fun for the fans and for us to play, but it’s successful. And I think it’s the most successful way for our team to play. I think he deserves all the credit in the world.
Q: How is it different than playing for other coaches?
Nash: It’s not a huge change from playing with Nellie. But at the same time, Mike even expanded the freedom and the ball movement and the ability to play the game with the responsibility on the players’ shoulders. I think that’s what makes us difficult to defend. Although we are scripted, we definitely want to read and make decisions on the fly that make us unpredictable.
DIRK NOWITZKI, Dallas Mavericks
Question: Talk about the tight race between you and the Spurs?
Nowitzki: Usually the regular season is not that important, because eight teams from each conference make the playoffs. If you lose a game here or there it doesn’t really matter that much, but if you look at it this year every loss can really come back at the end to hurt you. You have to bring your A-game every night, and you have to compete on the highest level every night, and try to win every night. The whole division we’re in its tough, with Memphis and New Orleans playing well.
Question: You guys are rolling along so well right now, can you get excited for the All-Star game?
Nowitzki: (Laughter) I guess so, I think it’s a long season and everybody needs a little break and needs to get away from stuff. I’m sure once we get back, Avery [Johnson] will get us right back into things and get us focused again. It’s good to get a little break and it’s a good position to be in.
Question: Is there anything you are looking forward to doing or seeing this weekend?
Nowitzki: I’ve been around the All-Star game a couple of times now. The good thing is to see Steve [Nash] again and his kids and his family and spend some time with them and that’s about all I have planned.
Question: If you could play with any other player, who would it be?
Nowitzki: That’s a tough question. I think obviously the most dominant to me is still Shaq, he’s a big body that nobody can really matchup with. And perimeter-wise, it’s got to be Kobe with the year he’s having. It’s tremendous the way he’s scoring, we gave up 62 in three quarters and it was amazing.
Question: Any surprise to see the Rockets at the bottom of the division?
Nowitzki: They have had a lot of injury problems, Yao was out for a while and T-Mac had those back spasms going. Obviously if your two superstars are out for a while that’s tough to stay in a position to win games and come through. But I think they will come around, they are too good of a team and their superstars, if they stay healthy, are too good to be down there. Our division has been very tough, when Houston is playing tough in their games, New Orleans, Memphis, us and San Antonio, it’s a fun division to be in. You have to play every night
TONY PARKER, San Antonio Spurs
Q: Have you ever experienced a season where regular season games meant so much?
Parker: I think it's great. It makes our team improve faster. We need to play better and we can't waste games the way we did the last two seasons. We have to understand that Dallas is for real. Avery (Johnson) is a good coach and he knows our playbook by heart. It's going to be a tough race because if we don't finish first, then we're going to be the fourth seed. We just have to understand we have to play better starting right now.
Q: What are some of the differences between the Mavericks now and in years past?
Parker: Avery Johnson. Coaching, he makes them understand that they have to play defense to win games. Dirk (Nowitzki) is getting better and better and now he has help in Josh Howard and Jason Terry. The supporting cast around him is good.
Q: What does it say about the Western Conference that it has two teams (Dallas and San Antonio) that were able to have long winning streaks in the first half of the season?
Parker: I think it makes us better. Anytime you have competition, it's good. It brings the best out of you. We know Dallas is good and it makes us focus on every game.
Q: What does it say about the International Game that so many European players are here this weekend?
Parker: I just think it proves that International Basketball is getting better and better. We're improving every year. I think the (United) States are still the best, but we will keep trying to catch up. I think in the next 10-15 years you are going to see more and more European players.
Q: What do you think about the Pistons having four players on the East team?
Parker: I think they deserve it. Ben Wallace, no question, Chauncey (Billups) and Richard (Hamilton), that was their first selection and they deserve it. Rasheed (Wallace), he killed us both games so I'm happy he got it because he played well against us. I think all four deserve it, they are playing very well this year.