Matt Bonner Mailbox

Name: Daniel Rocha
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Question:: Who was your basketball role model growing up?

Matt Bonner: Larry Bird. I grew up in New Hampshire an hour outside of Boston and that was the team I grew up watching in the late 80’s and early 90’s. I was always Larry Bird in the driveway.

Name: Shannon Laubert
Location: San Antonio
Question: Hi Matt --
You have made such a fantastic impact with the Spurs -- has our city made an impact on you? What do you like/dis-like about San Antonio (the BEST City in Texas!)?

Matt Bonner: The city has definitely made an impact on me. The city-wide support for the San Antonio Spurs is phenomenal, greater than anything I ever expected. The whole city’s behind us and it creates a great climate to play basketball in. And speaking of the climate, you can’t beat the weather!

Name: Martha
Location: Texas
Question: What advice would you tell someome who wants to become professional basketball player?

Matt Bonner: Work harder than everybody else. If you work harder than everybody else and you don’t make it, then you can look in the mirror and say you gave your best shot and have no regrets.

Name: Billy Franklin
Location: El Paso, Texas
Question:: Are you still driving that Pontiac?

Matt Bonner: Yes, and specifically it’s a Grand Prix. It’s still kicking butt out there on the streets of San Antonio. I went with it for the decent gas mileage, affordability and excellent leg room in the driver’s seat. It hasn’t let me down.

Name: Ray
Location: Los Angeles
Question:: NASHUA PRIDE won the championship this year.
Was it the ceremonial first pitch you threw out this season at their game, a big reason why they won it all?

Matt Bonner: I think my ceremonial fist pitch for the Nashua Pride helped them when the championship…because I demonstrated what not to do on the baseball field. I’m pretty sure I threw a short-hopper right into the dirt. I’m lucky I didn’t break the catcher’s nose!

Name: Vicky
Location: Fresno, CA
Question:: How's that championship ring feel? Do you really wear it?

Matt Bonner: It feels good to win the championship. As a role player in the NBA my personal success is mainly based on the team’s success, so the best achievement for me is the team winning a championship. I do not wear it. I’m too afraid I’ll drop it. Maybe when I’m done playing and go to banquets or formal occasions I’ll wear it.

Name: Dallas Dryden
Location: San Antonio
Question:: First, I appreciate you stepping in and carrying the torch while Tim and Tony were out. Here's my question: Who is the biggest prankster on the team?

Matt Bonner: Manu Ginobili and Brent Barry. Manu is more of the physical funny man and Brent’s more with his tongue, but both of them love the practical jokes. Brent has done the annoying beeping machine. I don’t know what you call it. It’s a little thing you stick somewhere and every few minutes it emits a high frequency beep. Because of the high frequency you can’t tell where in the room it is and you can never find it, so it slowly drives you crazy. Manu’s the king of throwing ice bags at you in the shower and that type of thing.

Name: Debbie Flanagan
Location: Austin, Texas
Question:: How hard has it been for you to learn the system that the Spurs have coming from another team and who has helped you the most on the team?

Matt Bonner: It’s very difficult to learn the system. They don’t really ease you in to it, they just kind of throw you in there and expect you to sink or swim. I did a ton of sinking before I learned to swim, that’s for sure. Now it’s my second year and I’m definitely a lot more comfortable with the system and the plays on offense and defense.

Robert Horry and Tim Duncan have helped me most. Both of them have really done a good job of helping learn the system and getting me in the right spots.

Name: Robby
Location: San Antonio
Question:: Hey Matt! I was wondering why you wear the #15?

Matt Bonner: I wear the number 15 because that’s what I wore in college. I don’t know why I wore it in college, I just did. When I went to Toronto I had to wear 16 because Vince Carter wore 15. I liked 16 a lot so I was planning on continuing wearing that for the remainder of my NBA career, but I got traded here (to San Antonio) and Francisco (Elson) wore 16 so I had to go back to 15. Thus the saga of my number. Interesting I know!

Name: David Hernandez
Location: New Brunswick, NJ
Question:: From your experience, what is more valuable - watching film of your next opponent or watching film of your last game and learning how to play smarter basketball?

Matt Bonner: I think you need a balance of both watching film of your past performance and future opponent. Obviously you can go back and look at film and kind of take a second look at things you did well, things you did bad, timing stuff and spacing stuff on offense and defense. They say hindsight’s always 20/20 so you definitely learn a lot from that. Obviously watching your next opponent is also key because you have to know who you’re playing against. You have to know personnel, their strengths and weaknesses, the individual guys on the team and also the overall main plays they run and team defense concepts.

Name: Lois Griffith
Location: just moved in July from San Antonio to Augusta, GA (military)
Question:: Do you ever go through times when you feel like you're in a slump--when your shots are off or your basketball playing is just not up to the level it normally is? If so, what are some tips for working through those times? Any advice to pass on to our 15 yr-old son who seems to be going through one of those slumps right now? Thanks.

Matt Bonner: I definitely go through slumps. I’ve gone through many slumps in my NBA career. The main thing I do when I’m in a slump is stick to my routine. I look at it like “I’ve taken millions of jump shots in my life. I know I’m a good shooter. I have confidence in myself and I’m going to keep doing what I normally do to be successful." I just understand that it’s going to average out and that I’m going to come out of it and that’s what usually happens. You just have to work through it and don’t lose confidence in yourself.

Mentally know you have confidence in yourself and physically stick to your routine. Get extra shots up, whatever you have to do. That goes for whatever you’re in a slump in.

Name: Emo Camacho
Location: San Antonio
Question:: Matt,
Have you ever considered growing your beard out long enough where you could braid it - like a Viking warrior? That would be bad ass. Also - do you think the "Matt Bonner Challenge" should be an event on All-Star Weekend?

Matt Bonner: That has definitely crossed my mind! I would love to grow out my beard long enough to be able to braid it. The problem is that it just doesn’t grow that long. It starts to get scruffy and just doesn’t work that way. Emo Camacho, if you’re reading out there, I don’t know, if some genetic mutation happens and I’m capable of it in the future, I will definitely do it.

The Matt Bonner challenge should definitely be an event on All-Star Weekend. I don’t know how many YouTubers out there have checked it out. I tortured my brother with it. It’s definitely a fun little drill that isn’t just physical, but mental. Especially when you start failing at it, because you have to keep starting over.

Name: Corey Forbes
Location: Durham, NC
Question:: What is your exercise routine and what does your diet consist of?

Matt Bonner: My exercise routine is kind of three phases. Preseason I’m down here in San Antonio working out with the team hard. Plyometrics, lifting weights, conditioning, playing basketball, the whole nine. Then during the season it’s more maintenance. Usually games and practice are enough to keep me in shape. I get a few lifts in every week and make sure I’m doing my stretches and keeping my body healthy. In the summer I do a lot of different stuff. I still play basketball four or five days a week whether it’s getting shots or playing picking pick-up back home in New Hampshire. I like to do some cross training too. I love swimming and I live up on a mountain so I do a lot of hiking and running up in the mountains. A lot of players gain weight in the offseason and then lose it in the season. I actually gain weight during the season and then lose it in the offseason. I try to eat healthy. I never eat fast food or anything greasy or fried. I do have a bit of sweet tooth, so I like to indulge in a dessert here and there. I try to eat healthy and make sure I’m getting enough good food to fuel the energy I need to play. My favorite thing to eat is probably my girlfriend’s wraps. I’m a sandwich guy.

Name: Mary
Location: Laredo, Texas
Question: Did you get any hassle about your red hair when you were younger? I dated a boy with red hair in high school (many moons ago) and we were always teased.

Matt Bonner: First off, good for you for dating a boy with red hair! I don’t know what it is, but we definitely tend to be ahead of the pack in most areas. The good thing with me when I was growing up was that I was always bigger than everyone else, so most people weren’t trying to anger me in that regard. There was definitely a little bit of teasing, but us redheads can take it…we’re fiery!