July 20, 2006

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Hornets officially introduced Tyson Chandler as the newest member of the team on Thursday, during a press conference held at the Hornets’ offices in downtown Oklahoma City. A five-year NBA veteran and the No. 2 overall pick of the 2001 NBA draft, Chandler addressed questions from the media, including queries about his reasons behind choosing jersey No. 6.

The former Chicago Bull, who wore No. 3 throughout his tenure in the Windy City, was unable to keep that number due to the presence on the Hornets’ roster of a certain star point guard. Chandler said he picked No. 6 because he hopes to be “twice the player with the Hornets that he was in Chicago.”

Following Thursday’s press conference, the 7-foot-1 center and one of the league’s premier shot-blockers chatted with Hornets.com’s Jim Eichenhofer about a wide array of topics. Chandler discussed his upbringing working at a rural farm in California, as well as his opinions on his potential on the baseball diamond:

Eichenhofer: You recently talked about how you want to become an All-Star with the Hornets. What do you think coming to the Hornets is going to do for your career?
Chandler: It’s definitely a big career move and couldn’t have come at a better time. I feel like getting a chance to play with a young, enthusiastic point guard like Chris Paul, a veteran guard like Bobby Jackson, Peja Stojakovic – one of the best shooters in the game, if not the best – it’s going to do wonders for my career.

Eichenhofer: The Hornets are a team that will play an up-tempo, fast-paced style for the foreseeable future. Do you think that will be a good fit for you, a team that runs a lot more than what you were used to in Chicago?
Chandler: Definitely. That’s one of the things I like about the Hornets. My whole career, I’ve been looking to get out and run. Now I’m getting the opportunity to do that. All my (basketball) life, I’ve been a running big man. It feels good to be back playing that way. The Eastern Conference is more of a slowdown game and grind-it-out style. This is moving back to more of my (preferred) style.

Eichenhofer: You have been in the NBA for five years but are only 23 years old and did not even seriously play basketball until age 14. Do you feel like you are entering the prime of your career?
Chandler: Yeah. Before (turning 14), basketball for me was pretty much only playing in the backyard and messing around. I definitely feel like I’m coming into my prime. I look at it like I’ve got five years of experience under my belt and I’ve learned a lot. I went through a lot of bumps in the road. But it’s been a great experience to go through. Now I feel like I have an opportunity to take all the hard work I’ve put in this summer and put it all on the table.

Eichenhofer: You entered the NBA directly from high school five years ago. What do you think of the minimum age rule that the NBA adopted?
Chandler: I kind of go both ways on that rule. I think they put the rule in because (high school players declaring for the NBA) was happening so much. Before me, it only happened every so often – it was only the best high school players who were going to the NBA. But it got to the point where guys were coming out of high school and not getting drafted until the second round. Before, you only came out if you were a top-five or lottery pick. Since that change happened, I think it kind of persuaded them to change the rules.

Eichenhofer: I saw on your Web site, tysonchandler.com, that you played with Tayshaun Prince at Dominguez High in Los Angeles. They must teach defense at that high school.
Chandler: [laughs] They definitely do. When we look at our basketball careers, we always think back to high school, because we would go through weeks (during practices) where we only worked on defense. That was the biggest way we got enjoyment out of the game, was by stopping somebody, getting a steal or blocking a shot. So I definitely give a lot of credit to my high school coach.

Eichenhofer: Did you know Byron Scott at all from your Los Angeles days? Both of you guys are L.A. natives. Were you a Lakers fan growing up?
Chandler: I grew up watching him play and I was a huge Lakers fan. I actually ran into him last year in the Bahamas during part of my honeymoon. My family all said, ‘Hey, that’s Byron Scott!’ It was funny to see him, and now I’m playing for him.

Eichenhofer: You are known among many basketball fans as a big-city guy from Los Angeles who came from a very good basketball school at Dominguez, but you actually grew up on a farm in rural California. What was that experience like?
Chandler: Where I grew up was actually pretty similar to what the outskirts (of Oklahoma City) are like. I grew up on a farm with pigs, cows, horses, chickens. We had some crops too. I was raised by my grandfather and my uncles. They instilled hard work, patience and determination in me. I milked the cows, fed the cows, fed the pigs and chickens. I got out there and helped my grandpa plant crops. I did a lot of things – I’ve been driving tractors since I was probably about 6 years old.

Eichenhofer: You are a California native but spent the last five winters in Chicago. How much are you looking forward to playing somewhere that has much warmer weather?
Chandler: [grins] Well, I don’t think a California boy ever gets used to the Windy City. In Chicago, I never understood it [laughs]. I grew up in California, so whenever you see the sun, it’s hot. There were times in Chicago, where you’d see the sun, but it’d still be below zero [laughs].

Eichenhofer: Your bio says you played baseball when you were a kid, and you jokingly talked about filling in on the Hornets’ office beer-league softball team in Norman on Wednesday night. Given some of the throwing inaccuracy of our infielders, we definitely could have used your height and reach at first base.
Chandler: [laughs] I played baseball and football when I was younger. I actually sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” every year during Cubs games at Wrigley Field. I also took batting practice with Sammy Sosa. I hit a couple balls pretty well, so I was thinking about going out for the team [laughs]. But that didn’t really work out.

Eichenhofer: You are a new father, with a 2-month-old daughter. How has that changed your perspective?
Chandler: It’s changed my perspective on basketball and life. It makes basketball that much more important. You realize how important it is to be responsible and show character. I feel like I’m representing her on the court. That’s one of the things that’s made me want to work that much harder this summer, because I want her to be able to grow up and go to school and be able to (proudly) say, ‘This is my father.’ And have people respect that, rather than having negative things to say.