June 25, 2008
Q: Talk about Coach Gaudio and the staff and what kind of job they did this year in light of everything that's happened over the past year.
A: They did an outstanding job going from the situation that occurred. First of all, I am so excited that Coach Gaudio got the job and could keep Coach Kelsey and Coach Battle and those guys on staff. I think this will be the year where they really get to put their thumbprint on the team. This year, they'll have a full season coming in, looking back from last season. They have a great recruiting class and an opportunity to get us back to where we need to be.
Q: What do you think about the team Coach Gaudio has coming back? A lot of publications have them ranked in the preseason Top 25.
A: The team from last year, with Ish and L.D. and those guys, will be older. Then you have Teague getting a year behind him with James Johnson. And you're bringing in some great freshmen who will have to learn as they play. I think they're very capable of it and have the opportunity to play right away with Tony Woods and Farouq (Aminu) and those guys. They're unbelievable.
Q: What do you think about Wake Forest's point guard combo of Ishmael Smith and Jeff Teague?
A: Unbelievable. I play with Ish all the time, so he knows what he needs to work on. But, I think confidence is going to be the thing with Jeff Teague, because I think he's one of the most unguardable guys that I've played against, so he just has to approach the game like that.
Q: How was it to play against Tim Duncan in the playoffs this year?
A: It was tough. Tim's a great guy. We text each other all the time, and we talk as much as possible. But Tim's one of those guys who really doesn't say too much, but when he does say something, you know he's pretty mad. I don't know, he had a bad two games--well I don't want to say bad, but not Tim Duncan-like games--the first two games of the series. But one of those things, he's just consistent. And that's probably why they ended up beating us in the end, because he's been doing it for awhile.
Q: With all the responsibilities in the NBA and with the CP3 Foundation, what is being a role model like for you?
A: To tell you the truth, I actually don't think about it too much because I just try to be me. I think one thing about me, I feel as if since I made it to the NBA, college basketball, I've still always been me. So being a role model is important because these kids, just like when I was sitting there, you have different people that you look up to. It's definitely a responsibility, and sometimes people will try to put on a show and act like this, act like that...I always make time for my family, for my friends and different things like that. And I try to go, as much as possible, to places I always went. I just try to be as normal as possible, because I think of myself as normal. Being a role model, like I said, I just try to be myself and show people that you can be successful and still be the person you were before you got there.
Q: LeBron, Carmelo and Kobe - they're all open. You're coming down the court. How do you decide who to pass to?
A: It really doesn't matter, to tell you the truth. I have the easy part as a point guard because all I have to do is get the ball out of my hands and we're going to be okay. We have Kobe and LeBron, you can't go wrong. It's nothing like it. My first year, Kobe was injured, so he didn't play with us. And last year I was injured, so I didn't play. So it will be interesting to see what it will be like to play with him. I've never played with Kobe Bryant, and he's arguably the best player in the game right now. So, to have all those different options, you know, I think we're going to win.
