Talking to Mike James ESPN Henry Abbott

[biba]

The part of the interview Mike James is talking about the Spurs and his Hornets. He knows his BB world. He respects the Champs.

Talking to Mike James

May 1, 2008 2:07 PM
ESPN, Henry Abbott
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/...ike-James.html

And now you play the San Antonio Spurs, right? What do you think, are they past their prime, or are they as good as ever?

Man, do you see how them boys are balling? Oh, my goodness. Everybody is in there producing and doing exactly what they've been doing. Everybody is in there producing. They're the champions. They're the world champions. You can never get past your prime and win a championship ring. You're never too old for championship rings. They ain't too old to win championships, please. This is like March Madness for college. This is the pros. This is a fun time to watch basketball. This is what it is.

As the Hornets meet the Spurs, who's the favorite?

What you mean? The New Orleans Hornets are. We'll probably be the underdog. They'll probably, of course, choose San Antonio over us. But we believe we have everything that San Antonio got but better. That's what we believe in our hearts. You know, and that's what you have to believe if you want to win a world championship, and that's our goal. Our goal isn't just playing in the playoffs and just happy to win just one round and now all of a sudden the season is over with and you won one. You don't have teams that are special all the time, and if anything was to ever change and anything happens, you've got to remember, they've still got an animal waiting on that bench. He's ready to be call me the Tasmanian Devil.

You're a pit bull guy, right?

Man, call me a pit bull. He's ready for this fight.

[NoMoneyDown]

If the Spurs take G1, I have a feeling the realization (read: panic) will begin to settle in as the Hornet players will understand what people mean regarding the difference between RS and PO Spurs.

[Extra Stout]

Abbott asked some other questions which got edited out:

1. "Mike, how much more exciting would it have been if you guys had gotten to play the Suns?"

2. "Wouldn't Chris Paul versus Steve Nash have been a matchup for the ages?"

3. "How are you going to deal with the Spurs' flopping? Doesn't it just ruin the game?"

4. "Can you please clothesline Manu Ginobili as a special favor to me?"

5. "In light of the Spurs beating the Suns again, how can anyone have faith in a loving God?"

6. "Do you have a little bit of a man-crush on Mike D'Antoni like I do? OK, full disclosure, it's not really a man-crush..."

[oboymeetsogirl]

I prefer to see the Spurs as the "underdogs." Let the other team talk about how they're ready to "bash" the Spurs, and how "in their hearts" they believe they are better team.

Pop, on the other hand, always prepares his team by making sure they understand just how good their opponents are. They're not like Jordan's Bulls, always playing with a chip on their shoulder and sense of superiority (got to hand it to them... they always had the refs watching their backs!). The Spurs always play for the respect they never seem to get. In fact, from the beginning of the season the theme has been to destroy the myth that they aren't capable of repeating.

Plenty enough motivation to kick butt!