Swift posts up against the Blazers. Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty

SUPERSONICS.COM: What was it like to get on the court for an NBA game for the first time?
Robert Swift: First time, I was a little nervous walking out there. Playing aside, I've been watching the Lakers the last few years, that's the team that I watched. Now, I'm out there playing against them. That's what I'm thinking. I got out there, I was nervous, but I worked it out, got in the flow of the game, started having a little bit of fun, feeling like I was comfortable out there. I knew the plays, knew where to be. Worked out the nerves and started playing.

Were you less nervous against the Blazers?
Swift: Yeah. After playing the Lakers, that short time, just a couple of minutes out there, that made me feel comfortable and like I was ready to go, so it made Portland a lot easier as in being out on the court and being where I'm supposed to be.

How much are you learning in the games?
Swift: One of the main things, probably, is that practice is a lot harder than the games. Mainly, it's experience - just get a feel for it, feel for how people are going to play me, how I'm supposed to play them, all the little things that you can't learn in practice.

Did learning that practice is more difficult than the games make you more confident?
Swift: Definitely. Going up against Jerome (James), Reggie (Evans), Danny (Fortson) and Vitaly (Potapenko) every day and having, basically, a no-holds-barred wrestling match, going to the rules of the game made it a lot easier and made me feel a lot more comfortable.

Did you feel like referees gave you respect despite your inexperience? You were only whistled for one foul in 20 minutes against the Blazers.
Swift: A little bit. The refs know what they're doing, so I know they're going to call it fair. I appreciate that they treat me like any other player.

Was your family able to get to the game in Anaheim?
Swift: A couple of uncles; my uncle from Sacramento and then my uncle from Orange County, right there. Then my dad also flew down, so a little bit of family.

How exciting was it for them to see you out there?
Swift: My uncle from Sacramento, he's 6-7, and he's one of the first guys I ever played basketball against and with. It was exciting for him to watch me out there, knowing that he helped me start going to where I am now. I'm glad he was able to drive down and make it there.

Was there anybody on the court for the Lakers when you were in that you watched growing up?
Swift: Kobe Bryant. I don't know when it was, I don't know why they gave it to me, but they actually credited me for a block on him.

That's pretty good for your first NBA block.
Swift: Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.

Has there been much of an adjustment to the speed of the NBA game? Kevin Calabro and Craig Ehlo talked last night about slowing down, and then were impressed when you did that on the next play.
Swift: Personally, I think it's much more intense in practice right now, just because these are preseason games. Our practices, nobody wants to hear about bad plays, pretty much, so they're going to try as hard as they can, play as best they can. That makes it a lot easier playing in the games; you get a lot more comfortable, a feel for your team, you know what they're capable of. Luckily, the Sonics are capable of a lot.

How much coaching have you gotten from Nate McMillan, Jack Sikma, and the rest of the staff?
Swift: A lot. During the games, they'll help us out by telling us where we need to be, especially me. During timeouts, they let me know everything - what I did good, what I did bad, what I need to work on, something I may have missed. It's more than I've ever been coached before; it's helped me out.

Are you excited to make your KeyArena debut on Saturday?
Swift: Yeah, I'm actually very excited. I've been waiting for the first home game, the first game in Seattle, in Washington.