Posted: March 7, 2003

Cedric Ceballos was a teammate of Dan's for four seasons, from Cedric's rookie 1990-91 season through the 1993-94 campaign. The former "point-a-minute man" shared his feelings about his friend and former roommate with Suns.com.

Suns.com: What was it like for you to have Dan as a teammate your first few years in the league?

Cedric Ceballos: He has an ability to make you do things harder, make you smile nicer, put your self in a better perspective. You know in my days here we were roommates and I can’t say enough words. There’s not a word I can come up with to describe what he meant to me in my basketball career and life period.

Well, it’s an unbelievable deal. That squad and what we did and we accomplished. It was great that we had the opportunity to do so. I know that the older team that went three overtimes too, everybody’s kind of comparing us to and it’s great. Until they get together and get things on the right track and win a championship here, those two teams are gonna be one of the greatest teams we ever had. In order for a guy like this just to be on that team and just be a part of them, it’s been great. Like I said, the Suns put on a great show on tonight. I think every person that witnessed this tonight really came home with a good feeling and understanding about a good and a great person.

Suns.com: What one word could you use to describe Dan Majerle?

Ceballos: Other than Thunder? Other than Thunder I would say intense. Everything that he does is intense. Whether it’s playing basketball or shaking a kid’s hand, he’s aggressive with it. He’s involved. He makes sure the kids get the eye contact. You see him on the court, he dives, his three’s, his dunks, I mean everything, he’s an intense guy, he takes life to a new level of appreciation and understanding of what’s going on.

Suns.com: You and Dan came from lesser-known colleges. What kind of extra satisfaction do you and Dan have from not having come from big name schools?

Ceballos: It’s great. Dan, and myself we came out of schools that nobody really knew about. They booed Dan at the draft, you know, nobody really knew about the guy but it really doesn’t matter what school you go to. It’s about your character and your will and what you want to do and he showed for 14 years that no obstacle was too big for him.

Suns.com: What do you see as the keys to Dan’s success in the league?

Ceballos: He prepared himself and put himself in the position to win the basketball game. A lot of people come through this league. There’s been a lot of players, some good, some bad, some cheat the game, some take full advantage of the game and he has done everything possible to become Dan Majerle, the basketball player. He’s worked hard, he’s trained, he’s taken care of his body and he’s making sure that everyone in the public loves him. There are not too many players that get their own underwear line. That should sum it up right there.

Suns.com: What do you think was the biggest factor to Dan’s longevity in the league?

Ceballos: Just his constant training. Take for instance game day. When I played with Dan, he would workout before the shoot-around in the morning. He would go through the shoot-around with us and then afterwards do a little bit, go home, sleep, eat and I mean eat a perfectly nonfat lunch. He wouldn’t eat hardly anything. He’d have a salad with chicken, no seasoning on there or anything. Then he would come back here, work out, get some shots up, get a nice sweat, play the game. That’s just my biggest memory, seeing how hard he worked and seeing how hard he competed everyday trying to make himself better, like trying to get a bigger and better Dan Majerle everyday. You know, I feel sorry for those guys on the golf course because after he’s been competing here, no telling what he’s going to do to people on the golf course.