NBA Interviews

When the Bucks were in town last week, we listened in on Wolves radio play-by-play voice Brian Sieman as he interviewed Bucks center Andrew Bogut, the number one overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. After Brian spoke to him, we asked him a few questions ourselves.

Milwaukee Bucks Center Andrew Bogut

Q: Brian Sieman courtside, along with Andrew Bogut. Let’s talk about the team here. Look at your record, from now through a year ago. It’s almost kind of a reverse situation. Your thoughts on the team’s play last year compared to this year?
AB: I think it’s getting better. It’s better. We’re playing a more complete game, we can execute, we can defend and slowly it’s coming together. Hopefully, we can get a little run here, playing on the road would be nice. But, Minnesota has lost a couple games in a row now, and maybe we can get a win too.

Q: I read an article of late that said you were struggling with your confidence? On what side of the floor were you struggling with it? Was it just your overall game?
AB: It was the overall game I think; mainly offensively. Defensively, I’m growing more and more everyday and it’s becoming more and more easy especially outside and stuff like that. But offensively, I’m still just trying to give my best effort on the court and be unselfish.

Q: How difficult has it been for you to make the adjustment from power forward to center?
AB: Last year I played a lot of four at times when Jamaal Magloire was out of the game, so, I mean, it hasn’t been too much of an adjustment.

Q: A lot of people are saying that the league is going from big to small, that the center is no longer that in-the-paint type force. You’re in the front line of that. Do you see that at all?
AB: A little bit. I think, it’s much more transitional, where teams are pushing the ball, trying to score a lot of baskets. Other than that, I mean, I don’t really see it much. The only teams with a big guy are the San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, and Houston Rockets.

Q: Do you think that plays to your advantage as you progress in this league?
AB: Hopefully, that’s the plan. But I still want to try and adapt to that up tempo game and have an inside game. I think if you have a good mix of both that will help you out.

Q: When you look at the rest of the eastern conference, are you looking at it and saying, “You know what we might be struggling now, but all we need to do is put together a nice little run and we’ll be right back in the thick of things?”
AB: Yeah, we need two or three games, and we’ll be in the top five of the Eastern Conference. That’s not much. The Eastern Conference is struggling, so if we can just get a couple of wins, we’ll be right there.

Q: Growing up in Australia who did you pattern your game after? Was it more Australian players, or did you look at the NBA at all and say, “I want to be more like that guy?”
AB: I liked Toni Kukoc a lot, whom I played with last year. Another guy I idolized was Drazen Petrovich, just because of his work ethic and what he did to get over here.

Q: Talk to me about the play of Michael Redd. This is a guy that last year scored 25 points a game, came out in the preseason and said, “You know what, I expect my scoring to drop.” He’s actually, gone above and beyond what he was at last year. Your thoughts on watching him play?
AB: Yeah, he’s great. He shoots that ball so well, and the thing with us is we don’t want him to score 50 points every game. We want to take the pressure off of him by getting other guys to score. And when that happens he doesn’t feel like he has to get the big shots every time down the floor. So, I think when we have a good balance of scoring we usually win games. When we try to rely on Mike to score 50 or 60 we don’t win those games. As, a team we have to understand how to take the pressure off of him.

Mike Trudell: Andrew, you were able to establish some pretty good low-post position against the Wolves last week, earning some easy baskets for yourself.
AB: That’s right. Garnett is a great help defender, and he blocks a lot of shots so I was trying to get to the boards. I think Minnesota will concentrate on keeping me off the glass tonight.

MT: I saw you take a shot and then go for a header in shootaround there. Did you play a little bit of soccer back in Australia?
AB: Haha, a little bit. Just screwing around with friends, but I played a lot at school and stuff like that.

MT: Any rugby or anything, or did you pretty much just start playing a lot of basketball.
AB: Oh, everything, depending on what the season was. I played some soccer, some tennis.

MT: I’m curious, how much bigger is basketball today in Australia than it was when you were growing up? Has it seen any substantial growth?
AB: It’s not. It’s still struggling. You guys have basketball, baseball and football (in America), while we have cricket, rugby, and football (soccer). These are all so big in Australia, so it’s kind of hard to market basketball.

MT: With you playing so well, and being the number one overall pick, do you see yourself as a key figure for growth of basketball in Australia?
AB: Yeah, definitely. But it’s so tough, you know, cable television doesn’t pick up all the games over there. So, they don’t see much of the Bucks over there. It’s getting better, but it’s still not at where it needs to be to excel.

MT: Thanks Andrew, we appreciate your time.
AB: No problem.


Here’s a transcript of an interview with Sonics All-Star guard Ray Allen prior to the Wolves thumping of the Sonics last Friday night at the Target Center. Star Tribune reporter Kent Youngblood, a Seattle TV personality, and Wolves.com were all present asking questions. Allen talked about the birth of his newborn son, and told us his favorite movie.

Seattle Supersonics Guard Ray Allen

Q: When was your son born?
Ray Allen: December 27, at 9:27.

Q: So you just flew into Minneapolis this afternoon?
RA: Right. We went to the hospital the day the team left to go to Denver, and had a baby that day. I needed to be there with her to make sure (fiancé Shannon) got through her surgery OK (Cesarian Section). We sat in the hospital for a day just checking on her. I’m sure she appreciated me being there, and with the weather in Denver, I don’t think I could have gotten there anyway.

Q: Have you gotten any sleep?
RA: Nope, I still haven’t. In the hospital, they wake you up. There is no sleep, and the interesting thing about a C-section is, once they pull the baby out, their main concern is putting stitches on the woman to make sure there aren’t any problems or infections.

MT: Clearly more important than your being tired was being with your family.
RA: Yeah, at least I knew they were fine when I left.

Q: Did your son’s birth bring you to your knees like the birth of your first two children?
RA: You do get a little weird, and (there is) a calmness that comes over you. When they pulled him out, there was no other place I wanted to be than where I was.

MT: After going through such an emotional experience, are you ready to get onto the basketball court?
RA: Yeah, I mean it’s tough to be doing something else besides basketball, which I’ve been doing my whole life. Especially when the season starts, it’s tough to take a day here or two days there. It’s one thing to go to take a day off and come back to the gym refreshed, but when these guys are out there fighting, it’s tough to watch them play knowing you should be out there.

MT: Last night, you couldn’t watch the Denver game because they didn’t have TNT in the hospital…
RA: I was getting some text messages, but since I was at the hospital, I wanted to go find Shannon something to eat. They say the hospital food is good, but I didn’t trust it. I walked by the bowling alley, and they had the game on TV, so I was looking into the window like this (Allen puts hands over eyes). People were drinking, bowling, and you notice a couple of people staring at you being like, “You should be on TV.”

MT: OK, last question, Ray. With tonight’s “Wolves Go Hollywood” theme, can you talk about your favorite movie? We know you starred as Jesus Shuttlesworth in “He Got Game.”
RA: Actually my favorite movie is Schindler’s List, hands down.


To finish up our round of interviews, we grabbed Luke Ridnour just as he was heading onto the court to warm up for the game.

Seattle Supersonics Guard Luke Ridnour

MT: Apparently you had the travel experience from hell getting into Minneapolis from Denver today, Luke. But I’ll guess it’s something you just put out of your mind once the ball gets tossed in the air?
Luke Ridnour: You know what, you can’t worry about that in the NBA. You still have to play the game, and we just have to come out and compete.

MT: Right. So in watching some of your games this season, I’ve seen that you’ve become more aggressive than in your first two years.
LR: Yeah, I’m trying to be more aggressive and trying to make more plays for my teammates, especially when things open up off the pick and roll. If I keep playing like that, it opens things up for everyone else.

MT: Was it exciting for a kid that played for the Ducks at the University of Oregon to get drafted by the Supersonics and be able to stay out West?
LR: It was definitely a blessing to be able to stay out there, and be in the Northwest. It’s been really fun.

MT: So tonight is Minnesota’s “Wolves Go Hollywood” night, Luke. Can you tell us your favorite movie, or do you have to say “He Got Game” so that Ray Allen stays happy?
LR: Ha, shoot I don’t know. There are a lot that I like, but I’ll say Dumb and Dumber.

MT: No, it’s a cardigan, but thanks for asking.
LR: Ha. Exactly…