Inside Dish - March 14, 2008

Does it feel weird coming back to play in Dallas?
It does feel a little weird. I was excited and nervous coming back to
Dallas. Everything is so different downtown. It has completely grown and the downtown is now alive. They have done a great job. It might have been a little strange to come back to town and actually play in Reunion Arena. That would have been really different. But obviously things have changed and I am happy to be playing in this new building. It has been exciting and it's really fun to come to work now.

When did you get the news that you might get traded to Dallas?
Probably a week before the news came out in the media. There were talks
in New Jersey of me being traded and when I found out that Dallas was one of the teams interested in getting me, I really got excited because I always felt that I never got the chance to play at the level that I was playing at in Phoenix and New Jersey after I left Dallas.

Have the people of Dallas been receptive?
It has been great. All the welcome back signs that I see in the arena.
When I am walking to dinner everyone is congratulating me on being back home. I really have always felt like this was home because this is where it all started. Everything has been great.

Have you caught up with a lot of old friends since you have been back in
Dallas?
No, I haven't had time.

Have you had a chance to talk to Avery Johnson about his lay-up that you
pinned to the backboard when he was with the Spurs and you were a first time Maverick?
No, I haven't talked to him about that but I definitely remember when that happened. Anytime you do something like that you cannot forget and I don't have too many blocks anyway.

I saw you talking to Don Carter your first game back in Dallas...what did
you guys talk about?
I was excited to see him and he was excited to see me back in Dallas on the right side this time. I have been coming back since I left but always as an opponent.

What do you think about playing with Dirk Nowitzki so far?
It has been off-the-charts. He is great. He makes the game so easy for his teammates, including me. All you have to do is get him the ball and he understands the game so well and definitely knows what to do with it.

What about his work ethic?
Oh, man, now that is off-the-charts. Being on the other side you never get to see the full effort of what a guy is doing to prepare for a game. Now working with him I can see how extremely hard he works at his game.

You played with Steve Nash in Phoenix. Did you know then that he was going to turn out to be such a great player?
I knew Steve worked extremely hard and that he was a gym rat. I knew he had the qualities to become a very good player, it was just a matter of... will he get the minutes. When he came to Dallas I knew that would give him the start to become the player he is today.

When was the first time you thought you might actually make it into the NBA?
It's funny because when I was in high school I got to play with the Warriors a lot. I was playing with Tim Hardaway, Chris Mullin, Mitch Richmond, Billy Owens, and all those guys. Maybe I wasn't playing at their level at that time, but I felt like I could compete against them and that just gave me the confidence and the drive to make it to where those guys were playing.

Who was your favorite NBA player growing up?
Magic

Is there any player from your neighborhood that you idolized and thought was the best player you had ever seen but no one has ever heard of him because he didn't reach the NBA?
Well there was this guy named Hook Mitchell, but they did a documentary on him a few years ago, so some people might know who he is now. Hook was from Oakland and he had way more talent than myself, Gary Payton, or anyone from Oakland for that matter. Unfortunately he just never made it.

Who had the biggest influence on your basketball development?
I would say my high school coach, Frank Laporte. He put me at point guard as a freshman on the varsity team. I think he knew before I did that I could become the player that I am.

How tall are you barefoot?
6'2 ½

Big question, might be personal, but everyone wants to know... can you dunk in a game?
Can I dunk in a game? Well, it's funny. I tried this year when I was playing for New Jersey against the Lakers, but Kobe came from behind and tipped it at the last second. I probably would have dunked it, and I probably could dunk the ball in a game, but the moon and the stars have to be aligned just right and it definitely has to be warm outside.

When was the first time that you dunked it?
I dunked for the first time messing around in practice when I was in 8th grade. Once I did that I wanted to dunk it every time up the court.

What was your first job growing up?
Taking out the garbage.

Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Yes, I have two younger sisters, Kim and Denise.

Why did you switch to Number 2?
Well, I thought that a 2 kinda-sorta looked like a 5 in my own upside world. Also, this is my second time around so I thought that worked. I was going to choose 3 for the triple doubles, but then I just liked the way 2 looked so I went with it.

What type of cell phone/PDA do you use?
Nokia Razor

What is your preferred mode of communication call, text, or email?
Text

Who is the most famous person in your cell phone?
Charles Barkley would say that he is, but I would say Cuban or Don Cheadle.

What is your favorite movie of all-time?
I like the Bronx Tale.

Who is you favorite actor of all-time?
Robert De Niro.

Is it okay for guys to wear pink?
Yep.

Do you remember your first concert?
Yeah, it was New Edition.

Who is your favorite comedian?
Richard Pryor

What is your favorite restaurant in Dallas?
Man that is a hard question. I want to be able to go to all of them, and if I name one then the others will wonder why I didn't name them!

Do you eat fast food?
McDonald's

Equal, Sweet N Low or Sugar?
Equal.

What is in your refrigerator right now?
Fruit, Vitamin Water, and Milk.

Do you cook?
No, I cannot cook.

What is your favorite late night snack?
Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich.

Do you live in an apartment or house?
Apartment

Do you read magazines in the "Library"?
Yep. People magazine usually.

What car do you drive on a daily basis?
Cadillac SUV

What is your favorite car of all-time?
Oh man, I got so many favorite cars. I have a '69 Shelby that is coming down from New Jersey. They made that car here in Dallas. I have a '68 Camaro RS. I have that here so I will be driving that a lot. And the Aston Martin Vanquish.

Boxers or Briefs?
Boxers.

What is your favorite sport other than basketball?
Golf.