Bobcats new General Manager Rod Higgins had a conference call with members of the media after being named to his new position on Thursday, and addressed a number of topics, including his role, why he took the position, what he thinks of the Bobcats current situation and more.

The following is the transcript from Higgins’ conference call:

(Opening statements)
I’d like to thank (Bobcats Majority Owner) Mr. (Bob) Johnson and (Managing Member of Basketball Operations) Mr. (Michael) Jordan for this great opportunity. I think this opportunity is going to be a unique one with our young talent. Moving forward, the flexibility that we have to change this team starts with making the playoffs, but ultimately getting to that championship level. I look forward to the challenge. I think this is going to be a great situation.

(On how things will be broken down in the front office?)
Ultimately, the decision comes from the top with Mr. Jordan, and then (Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations) Bernie (Bickerstaff) and I will work together from day to day. At the end of the day, we will put things on the table and Michael will come and make those decisions. The working environment is going to be like a triangle situation where the three of us will work very closely.

(On why he chose to come to Charlotte as opposed to staying in his situation in Golden State?)
This opportunity is going to allow me, personally, to experience a different brand of organizational style. The flexibility that this team has in terms of cap space and young talent and the opportunity to turn this thing to the next level is something that is appealing to me as a professional. I’m excited and looking forward to having the opportunity to work alongside Michael and Bernie. We’ll take the ball and we’ll dribble it in the right direction.

(On the status of Primoz Brezec, Buzz Peterson, Ralph Lewis, and Gerald Wallace)
I’m in Orlando right now with the Pre-Draft Camp. I imagine when I get to the office in Charlotte on Monday, there are going to be a lot of things to do. Those are some of the things that we have to figure out, as well as our free agents and the draft. There is a lot to do, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.

(On if an offer has been made to Buzz Peterson to join to Bobcats?)
We are currently having those conversations with Buzz. We’re looking forward to getting something done real soon, and that is something that is on the agenda.

(On how much of a difference it made in his decision process that there was another voice in the player personnel process with Don Nelson in Golden State, and did it have any impact on his decision?)
No, it had no impact at all. It’s always great to have as many voices as you possibly can when you’re making a decision with a player or a trade and things of that nature. All the time that I spent in the bay area we grew, and I like to think that with this season being such a successful one, that it was time well-spent. I look forward to watching the team from afar, and enjoying the continued improvement with the players, but more importantly, the continued improvement of the team and the organization. I’m really proud of them. I had a lot of friends and family there. I’d like to thank (Golden State Owner) Mr. (Chris) Cohan, Mr. (Chris) Mullin, and (Warriors President) Robert Rowell for allowing me an opportunity to help out and help their situation grow, and it was a fantastic run at the end of the season.

(On if he thought his hiring was something that might happen when he heard Michael Jordan was buying a piece of the Bobcats)
I’ve worked with Michael before and we have a personal relationship that has lasted for over 20 years. You just never know what can happen in this business. I didn’t anticipate it, but our relationship is special where we can talk about a multitude of subjects. So when this opportunity came and Michael contacted Mullin and got permission to talk to me, things just moved very quickly.

(b>(On how different he expects the structure to be in Charlotte from what it was in Golden State)
I would imagine it would be different only because they are two different organizations. People do their own things, so I think it would be different in that way. Ultimately, any organization has the mindset that they want to improve and do better than they did the year before. That’s going to be no different there than it was here. Everyone from the ownership on down is going to be working hard. There are going to be a lot of similarities, but I would imagine that there are going to be a lot of differences as well.

(On how with the Warriors success this season, if he feels that Golden State season has taken that next step already)
The Warriors hadn’t made the playoffs in a number of years, so I think we did make it to a new level. In any business or profession, you want to continue to grow and you want to continue to have challenges. This was an opportunity for another challenge. My mindset is that I’m looking forward to that opportunity.

(On what the Bobcats need to keep increasing their win totals from year to year)
My personal opinion would be that we need to sure up some positions. In this business, you always need big guys to compete. The teams that are in the Eastern Conference Finals usually have more than one or two big guys that can get the job done. I think we should continue to get more players that are going to be able to play right away in the big spots. There are some situations with our perimeter players that we have to address – the situation with Gerald (Wallace), and there are some free agents that we will look at and our point guard situation is something we have to address as well. Brevin (Knight) is under contract and there is language in his deal. Jeff McInnis is also a free agent. The point guard position is an important position for your success. I’m just trying to give an overview because I haven’t been able to get into the office and delve into our needs.

(On if he believes the Bobcats will spend a lot of money and make a big splash this summer in free agency)
With the resources that I’ve been told I have, those are going to be questions that are going to have to be answered at a later date. The ability to have those resources will allow us to make moves that we feel good about. If there is somebody out there via free agency or a trade that we feel will get us to that next level, I’ve been assured by ownership that we can do that.

(On if after working with Jordan in Washington, he feels like he has a second chance now with Michael, and if he feels they didn’t get enough credit for what they did out there)
I don’t feel that way. I felt that the Washington thing was a good opportunity as well. If you look back at when we initially came in, the team was in a different light than what it was when we left, in terms of the bottom line. Those are the things we come out feeling good about. The team now is very successful. That is more for you guys to determine how we did when we were there. Also, I have an opportunity to work with (Bobcats President & Chief Operating Officer) Fred (Whitfield) and Michael again, and that is something that is unique and interesting. They are both smart, young guys that are always hitting the ground running and trying to improve whatever job they choose.

(On if the Bobcats would look into acquiring Kobe Bryant?)
In this business, you go down every road, every dark alley, and you shake every bush you can to try to improve your team. I don’t know what is going on in Los Angeles, but conversations are being had between organizations every day. We’ll go down that road if it’s something that makes sense. More importantly, we aren’t afraid to go down that road. We’re going to do our best to improve this team, and the resources are there to do that.

(On the beginnings of his relationship with Jordan)
We met his rookie year and it was my third year in the league. We wound up almost being like roommates and we leaned on each other early on. I left that following year and our relationship continued to grow. We started to have families and kids and our families became close, and our relationship just evolved from that time.

(On what he means by the “resources are there”)
The resources come from our low cap number and luxury tax number. We have a lot of money under the cap and luxury tax threshold, so the ability to spend money allows us to go out and get that go-to player, or make a trade and be comfortable with our bottom line number. That number is going to be higher than what we currently have today.

(On if there is any one player or number of players that are considered untouchable on the Bobcats roster)
I would think that our young core is something that we are going to move forward with. I’m going to get in the office with Michael and Bernie next week and figure out what we want to do moving forward.

(On what it is like to work with competitive people like Mullin and Jordan)
They both have great competitiveness and want to win. For me, it is great to be involved with people like that from day to day, because it helps you to stay on your toes and maintain that level of consistency because your boss wants everyone to be like that. I think both of those guys are great young executives. It’s been great working for Mullin and it’s great to get back with Michael, because at the end of the day, you know that they want a certain level of play from their team and a certain level of commitment from their organization.

(On how much pressure that puts on him to get the job done)
The pressure is always there when you are in the NBA. When you are on a team and your best player is bringing it every day in practice and you are an average player, you are going to get left behind if you don’t bring it. That’s the mindset in the corporate setting that I’ve ever been involved with. You have to bring it every day or else you are going to get left behind, and nobody wants to get left behind.

(On plans for the pre-draft workouts)
We have started to look at some guys and are going to start with workouts next week. As the draft gets closer, we’ll get more guys in. This year is different because teams can’t bring in guys for individual workouts until after the pre-draft camp, so teams are going to be scrambling to bring guys in before and after the camp.

(On if that is good or bad for the Bobcats)
I can’t really say if it’s good or bad. It’s different than in the past. Professional sports are all about adjusting when something happens. When you have these jobs, you have to make the call at a moment’s notice.

(On if he reports to Michael, or Bernie, or both)
Ultimately, I report to both of those guys. Michael is the owner with the final call. Bernie is the executive vice president, and that’s the way it’s going to be for me.

(On if he plans on spending a lot of time on the road)
I do plan on spending as much time with the team as possible, as well as getting out there and scouting. In that regard, the job doesn’t change.