General managers of European powerhouses tend to distrust American players out of university, as their teams cannot afford to await the player’s adaptation to a system that’s all about team execution. This is why even young talented players with prestigious college résumés may have to start professionally in the provinces of Europe.

A big Carmelo Anthony fan, former Hoya Austin Freeman is a powerful 6’3” (190.5 cm) guard with a wide shooting range: “I think I’m more like a Joe Johnson type of player, but I like watching many players and try to take a little something out of them.” Last season, his senior year as a Hoya, Freeman scored 17.6 points per game and joined Kemba Walker in the backcourt of the All Big East First Team.

Freeman confesses he landed in the Italian second division with little knowledge of European basketball. “I didn’t know too much, just that some rules were a little different. I knew a couple of guys from my area who told me they were doing well. You know David Hawkins? He played here in Italy before and told me I would do fine.”

The Hawk, current captain of Beşiktaş Milangaz, was right and Austin began doing what he’s always done: pouring in points and making big shots. See below for video from his debut in Italy, when he introduced himself by dropping 38 points.

He acknowledges some differences with the basketball he was used to: “Most players here have a lot of skills, they’re very talented. The big men can shoot really well; they can put the ball on the floor. The game is also more physical here.

“Plus, here it’s much more about team game: In America, we have a lot of isolation – players do their own thing most of the time. Here you have to be able to execute both on the offensive end and the defensive end.”

But Freeman doesn’t want to make much of an issue out of his status as a rookie in a European basketball. After all, there are many instances that remind him of college. Fans “are not so different, I mean not so different from American college fans. Just a little bit more excited and involved with everything.”

Freeman's hand gesture has inspired a T-shirt

Forli’ is a small city in the northeast of Italy. There is only one McDonalds in town and rumors say many of Fulgor Libertas’ former American players are distinguished members of the Hall of Fame of hamburger-consumers there.

“Naaah, I’m not like that!” Freeman chuckles. “I found a couple of good Italian restaurants I go to on a regular basis when I have practice. I like going there with the guys, too.”

Currently the third-highest scorer in the league at 22.4 points per game, Freeman has drawn the attention of several first-division teams from Italy and Greece. Forli’ is not willing to let him go during the 2011-12, and will surely struggle to re-sign him with such suitors.

When we mention the word “future,” Freeman chuckles, presuming the same old lame question on NBA dreaming is forthcoming. We try not to mention the three magic letters explicitly, instead asking: Are you going to the next summer league?

“Yeah, that’s the plan. Once the season is over, I’m going back home [and] take a couple of weeks off to get ready for it.”

All right then, some hypothetical thinking, then. Next summer, there are two deals on the table: One is a guaranteed contract offered by a top European team; the other is a non-guaranteed temporary contract from an NBA team. Say a 15-day contract. What would Freeman go for?

“If it’s a 15-day contract, I’m coming back here to Europe! If it’s a 15 day contract…”

Enrico Cellini is lifelong basketball fanatic and a long-time sportswriter with a focus on Italy and Spain. He was born among European hoops, was raised watching the NBA, and thinks choosing between American and European basketball is like choosing between one’s mother and father. You can follow him on Twitter or check out his Italian-language blog Hoop Addicted.

Enrico Cellini has gathered a few choice quotes from la Gazzetta’s interview with Nowitzki, including the German’s thoughts on his favorite Italian player, meeting Angela Merkel and topping Arvydas Sabonis.

On January 27, Dirk Nowitzki did not play for the Mavericks against the Minnesota Timberwolves but still brought home two interesting souvenirs from American Air Center. As you are reading BallinEurope, you don’t probably care too much about the diamond-encrusted $40K NBA championship ring (courtesy of Mark Cuban) that Dirk received in a touching ceremony (courtesy of Rick Carlisle), do you? Instead, what’s worth reporting about that night is the fact that Wunder Dirk also received the Europlayer 2011 award, an acknowledgement assigned by Italian Gazzetta dello Sport to the best European basketball player of the season.

You may see the ceremony here.

All right, so it wasn’t quite as dramatic as the ring ceremony but still …

Gazzetta dello Sport later published in its printed version an interview with Nowitzki, in which Würzburg’s finest touched on several topics.

Said Dirk on the loss in the 2005-06 NBA Finals to the Miami Heat: “That experience actually helped me – it made me improve: Now I handle the fourth quarter with more intelligence.”

However, Nowitzki then add that, for last year’s finals, he left his parents and his sister home because of that 2006 series: “They came in 2006 and it went badly: Too many distractions around. This time I wanted to stay focused. They really got mad at me. And now I regret such a choice!”

Asked which Italian NBA player he would like to have in his team, Nowitzki said, “Tough choice. Perhaps [Danilo] Gallinari, as he can play both small and power forward. He’s got a nice shot and the ability to draw fouls. But I like [Andrea] Bargnani, too – he’s improved a lot. He used to play only from the perimeter, and now he steps up.”

On his meeting with German chancellor Angela Merkel: “She’s nice, I spent half an hour with her, she asked me a lot of questions – even though she doesn’t know a lot about basketball!”

On his future, Dirk said that “I’ll play for at least two more years. Afterward, I’d like to stay in the basketball world. I see myself as a teacher to the kids, but I still don’t know if I’ll do it here in Texas or in Germany.”

Finally, he has no doubts on the next challenge: “This is my sixth Europlayer award, I want to get one more, beat [Arvydas] Sabonis and be no. 1 in [Gazetta della Sport’s all-time] rankings.”

Ricky Rubio, Los Gasoles, Gallinari and Bargnani: You have been warned.

Enrico Cellini is lifelong basketball fanatic and a long-time sportswriter with a focus on Italy and Spain. He was born among European hoops, was raised watching the NBA, and thinks choosing between American and European basketball is like choosing between one’s mother and father. You can follow him on Twitter or check out his Italian-language blog Hoop Addicted.

In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Danilo Gallinari goes through his lifestyle in Denver: “I want to live downtown – I’m looking for a house.” Regarding food, a crucial issue for every Italian abroad, he says, “I have been doing some ‘scouting’: I found a couple of pretty good restaurants. One is downtown and is managed by an Italian guy. The other one is in Cherry Creek, a neighborhood full of shops and fun places. It’s the closest thing you can get to Corso Como,” recalling a commercial street in the center of Milan, very close to where he was living during his term with Euroleague club Emporio Armani Milano.

The comparison with the more glamorous Milan and New York to Denver comes inevitably. “Yeah, I’m feeling the difference,” says Gallinari. “We are in the provinces here. I need to get used to it. They send you to bed earlier – which is positive – and there is less temptation. Women are less aggressive, you might need to fall in love,” he jokes.

Talking about basketball, Gallinari comments the intensive calendar of the post-lockout NBA season: “A Nuggets fan asked me the other day, ‘How are we supposed to watch one game after another?’ He’s right. We’re one those teams that will play three games in three days: on December 31st in L.A. against the Lakers, January 1st at home against the Lakers again and January 2nd in Milwaukee. It’s crazy!”

On the end of the lockout, Gallinari says, “I’m happy to start playing again but not happy about other things. We the players have made some mistakes during the lockout and lost a lot of money. It’s not the best deal for us” and he reckons that “David Stern has never missed a trick since when he’s been the head of the NBA.”

Gallinari is resolute to become a leader of the new Nuggets, stating that “Coach [George] Karl believes in me, he wants me to become a fundamental player for the team. We lost some key players, and our GM will need to work at night to build a credible team. But I’m not worried, the Nuggets have made it to the playoffs each of the past eight years. The project is good, and the important thing for me is playing.”

Enrico Cellini is lifelong basketball fanatic and a long-time sportswriter with a focus on Italy and Spain. He was born among European hoops, was raised watching the NBA, and thinks choosing between American and European basketball is like choosing between one’s mother and father. You can follow him on Twitter or check out his Italian-language blog Hoop Addicted.

Coming to America

Messina began his career in Italy but then started “to feel uneasy” with his native basketball environment. “Moscow was the place where I felt the best,” he explains. In Russia, we won championships on the road, celebrated on the court with rival fans applauding us. In Italy, this would be inconceivable. In Spain, they are passionate, too, but for sure there is not the acrimony we have in Italy.”

Though, even Spain was tough sometimes to digest: “I wasn’t happy with basketball matters and I felt like a stranger. I was bothered by the fact that when we won, I was Ettore Messina. When we lost, I was ‘the Italian’.”

On the NBA, Messina’s future home: “I am curious and worried. Curious to experience the day-to-day life of the NBA, to coach great players. Worried because I hope I get accepted by others. I hope I’m ready – we’re finally getting started.”

Enrico Cellini is lifelong basketball fanatic and a long-time sportswriter with a focus on Italy and Spain. He was born among European hoops, was raised watching the NBA, and thinks choosing between American and European basketball is like choosing between one’s mother and father. You can follow him on Twitter or check out his Italian-language blog Hoop Addicted.

Rundles chatted with BallinEurope’s British basketball specialist Sam Chadwick about his love for football, playing in the NCAA tournament, and the importance of Andrew Sullivan, among other topics. And judging by Rundles’ apparent enthusiasm within his responses, he can’t help but get noticed along the way to playing pro hoops “in as many countries as I can.” This guy knows how to bring the exclamation points.

BallinEurope: Firstly, you used to be pretty good at (American) football; what made you choose basketball?
Cameron Rundles: Football was my first love and I had a few Division 1 scholarships to play, but the older I got the more basketball became appealing to me and I found that in basketball my strongest qualities were able to flourish more! Things such as leadership, and knowledge of the game! In football these qualities apply as well, but are more difficult to show on an every play/possession basis! So I think I chose basketball because it fit my personality more! But I do believe I’m a better football player then basketball player!

You played NCAA basketball at Wofford after transferring from Montana, where you were Big Sky Freshman of the Year; what made you change?
My freshman year, the coach that recruited me left straight away! His name was coach Larry Krystoviak and he went on to coach the Milwaukee Bucks. I thought about leaving right away but I thought I would stick it out under coach Wayne Tinkle. After an impressive freshman year, I still had my doubts there and didn’t like our style of play! After my second year, I called my best friend Jamar Diggs, who at the time attended Wayne State, a Division II school in Nebraska and said, “Let’s link back up because I’m not truly happy here.” We both decided to attend Wofford College and the rest was history, taking the Terriers to their first ever NCAA tournament and we went back-to-back years!

What was it like playing in the NCAA Tournament?
Playing in the NCAA tournament were the two best games in my life! It’s a feeling that cannot be described with words, only by experiences! If I told you what it was like to play in that tournament, you would have to multiply it by a few to get the true feelings! It was really a dream come true: Years and years of watching that thing and filling out brackets as a kid and one day you’re that kid on CBS primetime playing in front of thousands and millions are watching on the tube!! There is no better feeling!

You’re now playing in the British Basketball League for Leicester Riders; what made you choose the BBL and more specifically what was it about Leicester that convinced you to sign there?
Being a rookie, I don’t think there could be too many things to say bad about my situation! I love the Leicester community, the fans, the environment – everything about this place is great! But the main reason I chose this place was because of our head coach Rob Paternostro! After just speaking with him on the phone a few times, you see a coach that is truly interested in bringing along great character guys and winners! And that’s what he has brought to the table! My teammates are great, and not just on the court, they are all high character guys and that speaks volumes on Rob’s part!

Do you have any personal and/or team goals for this season or do you just go with the flow?
I’m definitely not a just-go-with-the-flow kind of guy! I don’t have any individual goals set for myself as of now, but before I was in Leicester, it was just to become a professional player and play for multiple years. But I think I speak for the whole team when I say I believe our team goal is to come out of the BBL with some hardware this season! We have a chance to win the BBL Cup and the league as well as the whole thing! And if we fail to do all three of those tasks, I believe that will be a disappointing season for the Leicester Riders and certainly underachieving.

You have a lot of new faces at Leicester with the likes of yourself, Ayron Hardy and Andrew Sullivan; do you three bond well and is there someone who took you under their wing as a mentor?
Sullivan, Hardy and myself really do play well together, as well as my roommate [Bradd] Wierzbicki! Brett came along later, but our chemistry as a whole is starting to all come together! But without a doubt Andrew Sullivan has been the mentor for us, especially myself and Hardy. He has played for a lot of winning teams and understands what it takes to win at a professional level! And I feel like he and I are very similar in some ways but I’m usually the listener when we interact because he has so much insight to give a young player like myself! Myself as well as the Leicester Riders are pretty fortunate to land such a player as Sullivan!

What difference does Andrew Sullivan make to your team? Obviously you started the season without him, but since he joined you haven’t lost a game.
The difference that Sullivan brings to our team first is his versatility! He is able to play on the wing as well as on the block! And even more on the defensive end on the floor, he is able to guard the 2 position all the way to the 5 position when needed! Also, he brings a winning attitude to our team that fits in because our coach Rob has won lots of games as a coach as well as a player in this league and I think of myself as a true winner as well as many of the guys on our team, but Sullivan has won on this level and as recently as last year with the Mersey Tigers, so it’s valuable to have a guy like that in your corner!

What’s next for you personally? Playing elsewhere in Europe or do you think you will stay at Leicester for a while?
For me personally, I wanna travel the world and play in as many countries as I can for as many years as my body allows me to! Whether that would be next year or in multiple years from now I’m not sure! I would definitely love to stay in Leicester for the next couple years if the situation works for both parties, but as of now I’m just trying to win basketball games for my club!

What has been the game of your career so far?
The game of my career thus far would have to be my first road game in the BBL championships, when I tallied 33 points off of seven three-point makes and hit the game-winning shot as the buzzer sounded over a pair of defenders to win by two points! That was at Guildford. But it was also my worst free throw shooting performance maybe of my life! Four for 12 … atrocious!

Lastly, what advice would you give to younger guys trying to make it in the NCAA or professional basketball?
My advice to younger kids trying to make it to the big leagues or the NCAA ranks is to first decide if they really want to do it! Once you’ve looked yourself in the mirror and decided that’s your dream, you just chase and chase and keep chasing. During your joinery you will come across peer pressure, drugs/alcohol, girls/boys, all these distractions, but they shouldn’t interfere with getting to that level if you’re truly serious with chasing that dream! And once you make it … Definitely enjoy every moment, but also even surprise yourself and keep climbing higher!!!!

Messina: "What am I gonna teach Kobe?"

From Italy, BallinEurope’s Enrico Cellini has quotes from a conference attended by one of the nation’s finest-ever coaching minds, Ettore Messina, and collected a few thoughts from the new Los Angeles Lakers assistant on living in L.A., Kobe Bryant’s transport and going to Disneyland…

After earning a status as one of the most successful coaches of the last 15 years in Europe, Ettore Messina was hired this summer by the Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant coach.

Messina is known for his charismatic and irrepressible attitude on the bench but has also the gift of self-irony outside the court. A few days ago, he spoke about leadership in a conference on sport business and digressed on the first challenges of his new life as a Laker.

“The other day I was on the phone with the Lakers staff, asking advice on where I should get a house,” said Messina. “I was told some people prefer living close to the practice facilities; others, like Kobe, live further away. Sometimes, in order not to challenge the incredible L.A. traffic, Kobe even comes to practice by helicopter.

“At that point I thought: ‘This guy makes $25 million and comes to practice by helicopter – What am I supposed to say to him? “Down with that ass, bend your knees”?’”

Messina has only coached elite teams throughout his career (the Italian national team, Benetton Treviso, Virtus Bologna, CSKA Moscow, Real Madrid); he has won four Euroleague titles plus eight national championships and has coached countless NBA players (including Manu Ginobili, who once said Messina is ready to be a head coach in the NBA). Europe was starting to fit too tightly on him.

Or, as Messina said: “Here [in Europe] I had Mickey Mouse and Goofy. Now, I’m going to Disneyland.”

Enrico Cellini is lifelong basketball fanatic and a long-time sportswriter with a focus on Italy and Spain. He was born among European hoops, raised watching the NBA, and thinks choosing between American and European basketball is like choosing between one’s mother and father. You can follow him on Twitter or check out his Italian-language blog Hoop Addicted.

Highlighted in the Spanish league reportage is Pau’s line to the effect that “I prefer the European game in the NBA because basketball is a team sport and is more beautiful to watch when players pass the ball or when ball movement creates shots.”

(Gods know what language this interview took place in, so bear in mind that this quote is probably emerging by way of English to French to Spanish and back to English; however, surely the sentiment survives through this mutant translation.)

Gasol also seemingly put to rest any notions of his playing for FC Barcelona this season, stating that he’s only training with the club and that it wouldn’t be “fair” were he activated only to have to return to America for the NBA season. With his addition to the team, Gasol reckons that “the Barça game would change. In the end, my starting the season with the team would penalize them.”

Of course, these particular comments precludes the possibility of the entire 2011-12 NBA season’s cancellation … so let the speculation continue!

Meanwhile, with an eye on the 2012 Olympic Games, L’Equipe invested many column inches in Pau’s opinions of Teams Spain, France and USA. Gasol defers on the question of whether the 2011 Team Spain was the best edition since 2001, but touts the excellent “esprit de corps” the twelve enjoyed during the EuroBasket tournament.

As for Les Bleus, Pau naturally had nice things to say, agreeing that Joakim Noah made a huge difference for Team France: “What he brings in terms of energy, activity, mobility and physical strength was a huge help to France at [EuroBasket].”

O, and here’s some more grist for the rumor mill: When asked if he’d be interested in recruiting Juan Carlos Navarro to come play for the Los Angeles Lakers when the lockout ends, Gasol smiled and replied that “he should receive an interesting offer…”

In the interview, which touches on subjects including Barack Obama, race relations in the NBA, and the upcoming 2011 Eurobasket tournament, Nowitzki deflects compliments about his outstanding play in the championship series against the Miami Heat with “I don’t think that I played all that exceptionally in the finals. If we hadn’t played so well together as a team, it would have been disastrous.”

The big Maverick went on to discuss his lack of grace when doing high-profile public appearances: “I’m not cut out for such moments,” said Nowitzki. “I feel ashamed when the entire focus is on me. I think people can see that. In public appearances, I am stiff as a board.” (Except for when he’s doing Queen renditions, apparently.)

Nowitzki also touches upon this summer’s European championship tournament, stating emphatically that “I definitely want to play,” but cited health issues as a possible obstacle: “I have been carrying a flu bug around with me for four weeks. It makes no sense to play in the European championships if I am only halfway healthy.”

For more from Dirk, including thoughts on the NBA labor dispute (though not too much about speculation he’ll be coming to play German ‘ball), the American president, the bizarre reaction to winning the title, and the congratulations he received from Muhammad Ali, read the English-language interview here.

Back in the day (L to R: You Know Who, Daniel Gibson)

In this week’s edition of the talkfest, recent co-host and Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson takes a few questions about new Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Brown, Russell Westbrook, and certain undiplomatic quotes to the media by James. How does Gibson feel about grammatically shaky stuff like “I wanted to team up with some guys that would never die down in the moment”? Hell, how would you?

The entire podcast may be downloaded here. And, in the interests of equal time, below the break runs the official NBA clip of Miami’s 92-84 victory over Dallas in which Lebron, admittedly, killed.

The key news for those looking ahead to the summer, a group that certainly includes Lakers fans and those cynical about the possibility of the NBA actually playing in 2011-12, is that Pau hasn’t quite announced that he will indeed play for Team Spain in the Eurobasket 2011 tournament; he is, however, expected to announce an affirmative decision upon returning to Spain sometime in June. Earlier in the week, Gasol met with national team coach Sergio Scariolo on the subject.

Of course, for those currently devoted to the NBA playoffs, just one thing regarding Pau is on the mind, i.e. “What the hell happened against the Dallas Mavericks?” Translated excerpts from Sánchez’ interview, in which Gasol talks muchly about his Lakers and a tad about an NBA lockout (Hint: Barcelona backers may prepare for giddiness now) follow.

Sánchez: Some days have passed since the Lakers’ elimination. Has the wound healed?
Gasol: It was a difficult time for many reasons. … It was disappointing. And very unpleasant outside issues were happening. I suppose that there is disappointment, pain and such, but it makes me keep that in mind ahead of next season.

What made the Lakers vulnerable?
Well, various things, various reasons that we didn’t play at the level required in this key moment of the season – Not so much in the playoffs but in the last seven games of the regular season. [In that stretch] we lost five and barely beat San Antonio and Sacramento. It was clear that things were wrong. Before then we had a very good run of games, but we never returned to that level.

You always said that this team was seasoned, experienced and had the confidence that, at the crucial moment, i.e. the playoffs, the Lakers would respond. Why didn’t you?
…A similar thing happened last year, but we rose and reached our level. This year, we just couldn’t. Everyone thought, “Let’s shift gears, we’ll accelerate, we’ll turn the key and boom.” The whole team was good, better than ever, [but we] lacked unity and cohesion to overcome the bad times: Something that’s necessary for teams like ours. The challenge of winning three consecutive rings is only possible with this quality.

Was this the worst [loss] of your career?
Maybe. … All losses hurt alike, but losing in the finals would have been worse. For me, it would have been worse.

I mean, the team played badly and expectations were high.
Yes, it was a somewhat atypical defeat and it hurts more in this regard. If you win because you played well and better your opponent, it’s otherwise. But this failure is hard to believe…

When the fourth game in Dallas ended and you were walking to the locker room, what were you thinking?
“This is shit. What shit,” I told myself continuously. It was a tough time. I never threw in the towel [during the series], I tried to stay positive, tried to keep communicating with my teammates, to be the rallying point, to say that we would respond, but the response did not come. I tried everything, but nothing worked.

After winning the first ring, you told me that it wasn’t so important, that you hadn’t discovered a cure for cancer after all. Relatively speaking, how disappointing was this loss?
I look at it like this experience is an opportunity to learn, understand and improve. … I’m looking at it from a positive standpoint. It is still difficult, but the more it hurts you, the better you are to fight it and the more you learn. At no time did I look away. I am very aware of what happened. It’s time to face it and live with it.

You have tasted success many times; what is it like to experience failure?
Failure is as much a part of life as defeat and disappointment. It is part of the evolution and maturity of the people. It makes you appreciate success even more. Defeat makes you work to get a better result.

What happened to being Pau Gasol?
[The series] was very atypical for me in many ways. At some point, I found that I could not find that spark, that energy and confidence that characterizes me and [that burden] grew larger in every game.

Did you have a crisis of confidence?
It was not about self-esteem. I collapsed. I was also a bit exhausted. I had no lack of confidence…

Were you distracted?
There were factors off the court that disturbed me and I was a little distracted.

Can you comment?
No. Stories emerged that were all lies, and I was affected. I like to mix the personal and professional, and certain people take advantage of low moments to attack…

[What happened when] Phil Jackson hit you on the chest in the third game of the series?
…I have good relationship with him. All comments and criticisms [from Jackson] I have always taken well.

But he had never done anything like that.
What happened was a rollercoaster of emotions for him. I knew it was his last year, I did not finish well, and he saw that things were out of his hands. Most of us were emotionally not ourselves. It was nothing personal, [no personal conflicts]. We all wanted to win, things were twisted and we were not able to straighten them out.

Did you feel mistreated by the American press?
I told a journalist here that I’m an easy target, I’m educated, I treat people with respect.

Why [did the media react to your play as they did]?
I do not know. I said that’s because I’m too good person and is easy to attack people who treat you well. As I am polite and nice person, I’m an easier target. I wonder what happened because when things went wrong, such as in the [2008 championship series against the Boston Celtics] and this time, the ink was loaded against me. On one hand, I’m flattered. Not that I’m given a lot of praise if things go well, but when it turns a bit sour, it’s Pau, Pau, Pau, Pau, Pau, Pau … While maintaining that I don’t have many problems, when boundaries are crossed that I consider insulting and disgusting, then it bothers me and I feel out of place.

Were the rumors about your girlfriend a reason for the Lakers’ poor performance?
I’m very emotional, and I acknowledge this. My personal life is my own, and I do not argue with anyone. The stories and rumors were used as a reason for my poor performance as a player. I do not accept or digest it well.

You were named to the all-NBA second team, putting you in the top 10 worldwide. Is that comforting?
No, not at all. It is secondary. Individual merits don’t matter if you fail. I am proud because it is historical, but it’s not my goal. My goal is to help my team win and I have not succeeded, I failed. … The truth is I do not know if a player in the history of the Lakers with my win-loss ratio. I wish I knew. But in short, I don’t want to talk. I am disappointed that my game did not help the Lakers win.

Do you think changes are necessary for the Lakers?
The core team has a lot of quality. The results are there. The franchise can make decisions and can replace parts, but I have faith in this template.

How will the Lakers fare without Phil Jackson?
The vacuum [left by Jackson’s departure] is tremendous. He will be missed at points during the season. The new coach will have a lot of responsibility because to fill this huge gap. The players have to help the new coach to achieve the objective, which is to win the ring. Anything other than the Lakers winning the title is failure: This needs to be addressed from the outset. If you do not win, it’s no good.

Tim Duncan, a legend, has assumed a secondary role in the Spurs. Do you see Kobe Bryant being able to do so, to delegate responsibility to you as he did earlier this season when trying to recover?
No. [He’ll] always be leading. Sometimes he’s more aggressive with the ball and sometimes he tries to get others involved more. We lacked the support of our other players.

How was your exit interview with [Lakers GM Mitch] Kupchak?
It was very positive, given the circumstances. What I liked about this disaster is that the [team is unified]. Nobody is talking shit to each other or saying that this roster has to change.

Magic Johnson said it best.
He is an authoritative voice on the Lakers. He wanted to help. Sure, there may be improvements made to the team…

If a lockout continues for a whole season, what you plan to do?
Well, I don’t know. I can sign with any team.

Can you afford an entire year without playing?
If the lockout could last one year, I would consider returning to Europe. Barcelona would be my first choice, but for now it’s all up in the air.