On Wednesday, February 4th, Vipers Internet News Editor Jonah Goldberg caught up with guard Maurice Carter after practice. They talked about how Carter cracked the Vipers roster and also had an exploration into Carter’s modesty.

JG: Maurice, you started the season on the practice squad. You had to work your way onto the active roster. Can you take us through that whole process?

MC: It was hard, but it was all worth it. It makes the process even more sweet, but it was tough. I’m just happy to be here now.

JG: You were in camp with the [Los Angeles] D-Fenders, right?

MC: That was two years ago. I was supposed to go to camp this summer with Austin, but didn’t go, so I was just training with Coach Lucas until I came here.

JG: How’d you end up down here with the Vipers?

MC: [Vipers Assistant Coach] Robert Pack. He was one of our coaches while I was working out with John Lucas and he asked me to come down. So I just came down and worked out and things worked out well for me.

JG: You came down on your own dime, right?

MC: Something like that, pretty much, yeah.

JG: There were a few roster moves, players coming in and out, before you got added to the roster, what was that like – being around there and knowing there was a spot open but it wasn’t going to you?

MC: Coach [Moser] did what was best for the team, it wasn’t my time to get in, they actually needed a couple of more positions filled. When it was time for the kind of guard to be here... here I am.

JG: And then they put you on the roster, what was that like?

MC: It was a blessing. I’m appreciative and enjoying it. I’m just trying to play my hardest and make it all worth while.

JG: What was the feeling when you got your first D-League bucket?

MC: I don’t know. I guess I was kind of excited, but I was just trying to win the game. I guess I thought about it after the game.

JG: Last year you played in the [Continental Basketball Association] and I looked at some of your numbers, you did pretty well there.

MC: Yeah, I guess a lot of people don’t respect the CBA anymore, but from playing in it last year and now playing in the D-League this year, the talent level is pretty much the same, but it’s not as organized.

JG: Speaking of the CBA, they’re ending the season early, canceling the rest of the regular season and having a quick best-of-three playoffs and that it’s for the four team league. What are your thoughts on that?

MC: It’s unfortunate. From what I know, the CBA used to be kind of like the D-League of minor league basketball. It was huge, a lot of guys got called up from there. I guess with the D-League being around, it’s hard for the CBA to still exist.

JG: You said the D-League was more organized. What do you mean by that?

MC: You get paid on time. It’s run by the NBA. On different teams there are better players and better coaches. It’s a better atmosphere.

JG: Playing in the D-League, we look at our NBA archives and find another Maurice Carter. How often do you get mixed up with the former NBA player?

MC: Pretty often. He was actually a pretty good player, so it’s not that bad for me to be mixed up with him. After a while it’s kind of tiresome, but he was a really good player. He played in the NBA for a while. So I guess I don’t mind. I just want to make a name for myself.

JG: Well, since you’re not that Maurice Carter, meaning you didn’t go to LSU, where did you go to college?

MC: I played at Robert Morris University. A lot of people may not know, but it’s in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It’s a mid-major Division one, and I am one of the best players to ever put on an RMU uniform.

JG: Whoa, those are some pretty big words right there.

MC: *laughs* It’s the truth. I’ve heard it. Nah. I’m just kind of bragging a little bit. It’s all fun.

JG: How far did you guys get when you were in school?

MC: We never made the NCAA Tournament, but we did go to the conference championship a couple of times. We always went to the conference tournament. It was good basketball – very competitive. I enjoyed it.

JG: What’d you major in?

MC: Communication.

JG: What do you plan to do with that some day?

MC: Hopefully when I’m 40 and I’m done playing basketball, I’ll start a nonprofit organization for children, a Christian organization, and just give back to the community.

JG: Well that’s the nice thing about being in minor league basketball, you get the opportunity to give back with the community down here too.

MC: That’s a huge blessing. I enjoy changing kids lives and just seeing the smile on their face when we come in to speak to them.

JG: How’d you get your start in professional basketball?

MC: My first year out of school I was in the CBA, playing for the Pittsburgh X-Plosion. I went to college in Pittsburgh, so I played there with a guy named Ahmad Gilliam, who played in the NBA for a while. That was a blessing also. It was a learning experience. I learned a lot. It was fun.

JG: How did you discover the game of basketball when you were growing up?

MC: My dad. My dad is my favorite guy. He’s my inspiration. He’s not an athlete at all, but he put the ball in my hands. Football was actually my first love, but I was a much better basketball player. My dad would take me everywhere I needed to be, even though he had to work. Looking back now, that was unbelievable, that he could do what he did for me, being an entrepreneur and not having a college education, knowing where to put me at and knowing where to be, it was huge.

JG: Coincidentally, there is a minor league arena football team down here. The season does not conflict with the Vipers. As long as you’re down here, you said football was your first love, have you considered trying out?

MC: I may give it a try. Nah, I think I’m done. I had to give it up during my junior year in high school. I played at DeMatha Catholic High School, which is a basketball power house all around the country. Coach [Morgan] Wooten made me give it up, so I’m done.