Former UNC basketball standout Antawn Jamison breaks down what he thinks was wrong with the 2022-23 team.
It’s no secret the 2022-23 season was a disaster for the UNC basketball program. It began the season as the preseason No. 1 and had national title aspirations. But as the season unfolded, it became clearer that the team just didn’t have it.
Eventually, the Tar Heels didn’t even get a shot at redemption, missing the NCAA Tournament and becoming the first preseason No. 1 to do so.
But what exactly went wrong? All year it felt as if this team wasn’t playing with passion and looked as if it was just going through the motions. Now, a pair of UNC legends are echoing those thoughts.
Antawn Jamison was a guest on Vince Carter’s podcast “The VC Show” this week to talk about their careers at UNC, the NBA and their friendship among other things. One of the big topics that came up was the struggles of this UNC team.
Jamison pointed to a visit he took to Chapel Hill this summer and had an alarming story to tell Carter:
“The feel for the game is not there. Vince, remember all the open runs that we had? I went to Chapel Hill the first day they were able to play pick-up. They played that day, and I told the team, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow. You’re going to play tomorrow, right?’ They said, ‘Nah, we are scheduled to play next week.’ I was like, ‘Huh?’
“For us, we got a basketball scholarship to play at the University of North Carolina. Vince, we played every single day. We’ve got these guys that can dribble through their legs and do all this other stuff, but the feel for the game, the chemistry, and the competitiveness has taken a step back.”
I don’t know if we should put that on the players, the coaches or both but that doesn’t sound ideal for a team that spent all offseason saying they were one rebound away from winning a national championship.
Playing at the University of North Carolina, you have to have a passion to play and practice whenever you can. That’s especially true for a team that had ‘redemption’ on its mind. But for this group, it doesn’t seem like the players had it all together in terms of chemistry. And that certainly showed all season.
Former NBA star Antawn Jamison says LeBron James and Kobe Bryant were very different when it came to their mentalities and attitude.
Over the last 20 years or so, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have been arguably the two greatest players in the NBA.
Their careers and primes had some overlap, and during the mid-to-late 2000s, there was debate as to who was the better player.
Although there seems to be a consensus that James is the better player, or at least has had the better career, Bryant holds a major edge over him with his five world championships and 5-2 record in the NBA Finals.
James, on the other hand, is 4-6 in the championship series, which has led some to chip away at his legacy and historical standing.
Former NBA All-Star Antawn Jamison is one of the luckiest men in the world. He was a teammate with both legends. He said that while Bryant’s mentality was similar to that of Michael Jordan, who was a killer, James is more happy-go-lucky.
“At that particular time, Bron needed to go into a situation like he did with Miami,” Jamison said of James’ first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. “… The difference between Bron and Kobe, Kobe was more like Mike, just the mentality. Bron was more like happy-go-lucky, just still having a good time, all the handshakes they was doing. So, I think Bron needed to go there with Pat Riley and learn about the mentality that Mike and Magic (Johnson) and those guys — D-Wade (Dwyane Wade) already had it, so I think by those couple years, by him being down there in Miami, it took him to the next level. … And from what I heard after he got back from Miami from the people with the organization, you could tell he came back different.”
When James first went to the Miami Heat in 2010, he was ringless and was developing a reputation as someone who perhaps didn’t have what it took to come through under extreme pressure.
But after a messy maiden voyage with Miami, he led the team to back-to-back titles, which included a virtuoso performance in Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals.
Once James returned to Cleveland in 2014, he was ready to deliver the city its first world championship in any major sport since the Cleveland Browns had won the NFL title in 1964.
With the recent additions his Los Angeles Lakers have made, James’ attention is on finding a way to win his fifth ring, which would be the Lakers’ 18th.
Kobe Bryant’s first 50-point game came in a shootout with Golden State’s Antawn Jamison in Dec. 2000 that has to be seen to be believed.
Early in the 2000-01 season, Kobe Bryant went on a tear, starting to prove that he was the best non-big man in the NBA.
He scored a career-high 43 points on Dec. 1 in a big win over the San Antonio Spurs, even though he was ailing with an upper respiratory infection.
Five days later, he established another new career mark.
That night, the Los Angeles Lakers took on the Golden State Warriors in Oakland, California. The Warriors were a terrible team that year, but they did have forward Antawn Jamison, who was developing into an All-Star caliber scorer.
The game started to evolve into a shootout between him and Bryant. The latter had 16 points in the first half while Jamison put up 19 points.
Bryant turned things up in the third quarter, scoring 17 points as Los Angeles took a double-digit lead and looked on its way to victory. But Jamison kept the heat on by outscoring him 12-6 in the fourth quarter as the contest went into overtime.
There, Bryant had a dozen points, but his game-tying 3-point attempt at the buzzer was off, and the Lakers lost, 125-122.
Both Bryant and Jamison finished with 51 points in a duel for the ages, although Jamison shot 72.4% to Bryant’s 51.4%.
The Lakers superstar supposedly hogged the ball on that night, but he did notch eight assists.
It was the first 50-point game of Bryant’s career and a sneak preview of the 24 that would follow in the years to come.
Explaining how he used the snub as motivation, Pierce said, “Coming out of college, I was a First Team All-American, a projected No. 2 pick,” continuing on by naming every franchise that doubted him. “Thank you for passing on me and adding fuel to my fire,” he explained. “I appreciate that.”
But who were those teams, and who did they go with instead? Let’s look back at the top nine picks of that draft, and whether there’s any that didn’t end up regretting their selection, in retrospect.
WATCH: Where should we rank Celtics legend Paul Pierce among the NBA’s 50 greatest players? https://t.co/TVurEjxvKU
Before registering an appearance in the NBA All-Star game with the Washington Wizards, Antawn Jamison developed into a budding pro with the Golden State Warriors.
During his five-season stint in Golden State, the former No. 4 overall pick out of North Carolina averaged 20.2 points on 45.4% shooting from the field with 7.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and one steal per game.
With a steady list of impressive performances in the Bay Area on Jamison’s resume, his battle against future NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant might be at the top.
December 6, 2000
Coming off a loss to the Seattle Supersonics where he scored a career-high 51 points, Jamison wasn’t going to let another performance like that go to waste, even if it was against Bryant and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.
Picking up where he left off against the Sonics, Jamison notched 19 points in the first half to give Golden State a 62-57 lead at halftime. While Jamison was cooking in the first 24 minutes, Bryant wasn’t far behind him, scoring 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting in the first half.
While Jamison added another 12 points to his total, Bryant exploded for 17 points in the third quarter alone. Bryant’s scorching third quarter pushed the Lakers to a 10 point lead heading into the final quarter.
With 12 minutes remaining, Jamison struck back, recording another 12 points to lead Golden State’s fourth-quarter comeback. With 41 points at the final buzzer, Jamison was able to push Bryant and the Lakers into an overtime period with the score locked at 107.
In overtime, Bryant and Jamison traded heavyweight power punches. However, with the help of Larry Hughes and Bob Sura, Golden State was able to seal the upset victory at the Arena in Oakland, 125-122.
For the second consecutive game, Jamison finished with 51 points on 21-of-29 shooting from the field with 13 boards, five assists, two steals and a block in 53 minutes. Bryant matched Jamison with 51 points on 18-of-35 shooting with eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals in 51 minutes.
After drafting Vince Carter with the No. 5 pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, the Warriors traded him to the Toronto Raptors for Antawn Jamison.
With draft night rapidly approaching, there’s still a cloud of mystery over what the Golden State Warriors will do when they’re on the clock with the No. 2 overall selection on Nov. 18.
Will Bob Myers and Steve Kerr trade the pick? Will the Warriors add to the frontcourt or find a player that can play behind Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson? Do they prioritize finding a player that can help them win now, or are they looking to the future? All questions that will play a role in the Golden State Warriors draft for 2020.
Before the Warriors ink the name of their future rookie on the draft card, Warriors Wire is rewinding through Golden State’s draft history to highlight some of the most memorable selections — trades, surprises, busts, sleepers and everything in between.
In 1998, the Warriors triggered a blockbuster trade between two future All-Stars that would each play over 15 seasons in the NBA.
June 24, 1998
The Los Angeles Clippers started the 1998 NBA Draft by selecting center Michael Olowokandi out of Pacific University. The Vancouver Grizzlies followed by drafting Arizona’s Mike Bibby. Capping off the top three picks were the Denver Nuggets’ selection of Raef LaFrentz out of Kansas.
After a pair of teammates were selected with back-to-back picks at four and five, things got interesting. Shortly after the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors made their picks, the two teams swapped players. The Warriors traded North Carolina’s Vince Carter (the No. 5 pick) to the Toronto Raptors for his Tarheel teammate Antawn Jamison(the No. 4 pick).
Watch the moment the Warriors selected Carter via YouTube:
On his way to winning the Naismith and Wooden awards during his junior season at Chapel Hill, Jamison averaged 22.2 points on 57.9 shooting from the field with 10.5 rebounds per contest.
Jamison’s impressive play leaked into his rookie season with the Warriors. The forward earned a bid to the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team, averaging 9.6 points on 45.2% shooting from the field with 6.4 rebounds per game.
During his career in the Bay Area, Jamison was able to record steady numbers. However, the team around him struggled. Jamison’s Warriors failed to reach the postseason over his six-season tenure.
Carter’s time with the franchise that traded for him started a little differently. After being named Rookie of the Year in 1998, it only took the “Half-Man/Half-Amazing” till his sophomore season to lead the Raptors to the playoffs.
In seven seasons with Toronto, Carter was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team six times. Once Jamison left the Bay Area, the former North Carolina product was able to reach the All-Star game twice with the Washington Wizards.
Despite their draft-day trade, the Tarheel duo went on to play long and successful careers in the association. Over his 16 season career, Jamison averaged 18.5 points on 45.1% shooting from the field with 7.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
Carter’s storied NBA career recently came to an end in the 2019-20 season. Over 22 seasons, “Vinsanity” averaged 16.7 points on 43.5% shooting with 4.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest.
Alongside Jamison and Carter, other notable members of the 1998 draft class included Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Jason Williams, Larry Hughes, Rashard Lewis and Al Harrington. Brad Miller and Earl Boykins highlighted undrafted free agents from the 1998 class.
Gilbert Arenas was a smooth and effective scorer during his NBA career.
Before Gilbert Arenas became a star with the Washington Wizards, he was an up-and-coming player hooping in the Bay.
Arenas was drafted No. 31 overall by the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the 2001 NBA Draft, and he played his first two seasons with the franchise. A guard out of Arizona, Arenas displayed his penchant for scoring in college. In two seasons with the Wildcats, he averaged 15.8 points per game on 46.6% shooting.
The first two seasons of Arenas’ career were filled with promise. During the 2001-02 campaign, his rookie season, Arenas ranked fourth among rookies in points per game (10.9), with his teammate Jason Richardson ahead of him at third.
With his passing ability, Arenas ranked third among rookies in assists per game (3.7), with only Jamaal Tinsley and Tony Parker ahead of him.
The following season, Arenas continued to build his reputation around the league. During his sophomore campaign, Arenas was second on the Warriors in scoring behind Antawn Jamison.
He was second among sophomores in points per game (18.3), right behind Pau Gasol. Arenas won the Most Improved Player award in 2003, and he was second among second-year players in assists per game (6.3), only behind Tinsley.
Arenas had one of the best performances of his career during March 2003, when he dropped 41 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished five assists in a win against the Wizards.
Throughout most of his career, Arenas could drive through the lane and finish at the rim. But he could also size up an opponent, create space with his dribble and pull up for a smooth jumper.
His moves were made with purpose, and once he created the space he needed, he usually scored. Arenas’ scoring peaked with the Wizards, and he earned all three of his All-Star appearances with the franchise.
He signed with the Wizards in the summer of 2003, as the Warriors couldn’t match the offer sheet Washington gave him. Arenas was a restricted free agent early in his career because he wasn’t on a rookie scale contract; only first-round picks qualify for those.
Because of this, the NBA made a provision that limits the amount of money teams can offer restricted free agents who only have one or two years of experience, per Hoops Rumors. With the provision, teams cannot offer a first-year salary higher than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
Arenas’ career with the Wizards was stellar. He had his best overall season during the 2005-06 campaign, when he scored a career-high 29.3 points per game and dished 6.1 assists a game. That season, he ranked fourth in the league for scoring, with the late Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and LeBron James ahead of him.
Knee injuries and the gun incident with Javaris Crittenton unfortunately shortened Arenas’ career, but his standing in the Wizards’ record books remains high.
Per Basketball Reference, Arenas ranks 10th all-time in points on the franchise’s all-time leading scorers list. He ranks seventh on the list in assists.
Antawn Jamison was a steady and consistent scorer throughout 16 seasons.
During the heyday of his career, Antawn Jamison was one of the NBA’s most steady and consistent scorers.
Standing at 6-foot-8, Jamison played both forward positions, and though he wasn’t always his team’s first option, he got buckets throughout his career. He’s one of 46 players in league history who’s part of the 20,000 career points club, with 20,042 total.
Through 16 seasons, Jamison only failed to average double figures in scoring three times — his rookie year and final two seasons in the league.
Jamison was drafted fourth overall by the Toronto Raptors in the 1998 NBA draft, and he and former UNC teammate Vince Carter were swapped on draft night.
Carter went to Toronto and became the Raptors’ first star, and Jamison went to the Bay Area. He played his first five seasons with Golden State, and quickly established his reputation as a skilled scorer.
The lockout shortened 1998-99 season was Jamison’s rookie year. The league played 50 games, but Jamison still got to showcase his skills for the basketball world. He scored 9.6 points per game on 45.2% shooting, and according to NBA.com stats, he was fourth among rookies in rebounds per game (6.4).
Jamison’s production skyrocketed during his sophomore season. He scored 19.6 points per game on 47.1% shooting, ranking second in scoring among second-year players. Jamison also led sophomores in rebounds per game (8.3).
Once his third season came around, Jamison reached a statistical peak. During the 2000-01 season, he scored a career-high 24.9 points per game and led Golden State in scoring.
The season included two of Jamison’s best games ever, as the former Tar Heel went to another level in December 2000.
The Warriors were playing the Seattle SuperSonics on Dec. 3, and they had come into the game with a record of 5-12. The Sonics weren’t much better at 8-10.
Jamison scored a career-high 51 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as the Warriors lost 118-102. Jamison also shot a career-high 36 field goal attempts.
Not too long after that game, though, Jamison matched his own greatness.
Following the loss to Seattle, the Warriors had the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 6. The Lakers were 14-5 and were just coming off a win against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Jamison and the late Kobe Bryant had a scoring battle, and both put up 51 points. The Warriors defeated the Lakers 125-122 in overtime. Jamison’s back-to-back 50-point games were the hallmark of his career season in which he ranked ninth in the league in scoring.
(2000) 19 years ago today, Kobe Bryant and Antawn Jamison BOTH went off for 51 points! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FhyQjF3LtG
As Jamison progressed through his career, he started picking up individual accolades. He was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in August 2003, and he won the 2004 Sixth Man of the Year award during his lone season there.
After his brief stint in Dallas, Jamison was traded to the Washington Wizards in June 2004. Jamison spent his prime in Washington, and he earned both of his two All-Star appearances with the franchise.
Despite not having much playoff success — he only went past the first round twice — Jamison played his best postseason basketball during a 2007 first-round series.
The Wizards were playing the Cleveland Cavaliers, and LeBron James had the Cavs playing their best basketball since the late 1980s and early 1990s. Washington was swept in the first round, but Jamison had a great showing. He led the Wizards in scoring with 32.0 points per game, and he shot 47.6% from the field. He also led the team in rebounds per game (9.8).
Jamison would finish his career playing for the Cavaliers, Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. He had career averages of 18.5 points per game and 7.5 rebounds, along with shooting 45.1% from the field.
With no basketball on the schedule, Warriors Wire is looking back into Golden State’s history for noteworthy performances of the past.
It’s been over three weeks since the Golden State Warriors played a basketball game. The 2019-20 season has been suspended with 17 games remaining on the schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic.
To help fill the gap with hoops are on hold, Warriors Wire is looking back into Golden State’s history to find standout performances from the past.
Before he was the director of pro personnel for the Washington Wizards, Antawn Jamison was the face of the Golden State Warriors franchise. In his final season with the Warriors, the North Carolina product toasted the Denver Nuggets for his 2003 season-high.
April 6, 2003
With Golden State’s playoff hopes dwindling and only a few games remaining on the schedule, Jamison decided to put on one last show for Warriors’ fans before the end of the season.
The former lottery pick dropped a season-high 41 points on 17-of-24 shooting from the field. Jamison added 14 rebounds to complete his 14th double-double of the season.
Jamison’s monster night pushed Golden State to a smooth 106-99 victory at the Arena in Oakland.
Check out the full box score from the Warriors win over the Nuggets in 2003 here.
After averaging 22.2 points and seven rebounds per game in 2002-03, the Warriors moved Jamison in the offseason to the Dallas Mavericks in a nine-player deal that included Nick Van Exel, Avery Johnson, Chris Mills and Danny Fortson.
Former NBA player Larry Hughes was recently a guest on The HoopsHype Podcast to discuss his 13-year NBA career, what it was like playing alongside Michael Jordan and LeBron James, battling injuries, how raising his four children changed him and much more. Listen to the interview above or read a transcribed version of the conversation below.
Growing up in St. Louis, when did you start playing basketball?
Larry Hughes: I started playing school-yard basketball probably around fifth grade. You had your pick-up games, your “21” games. Then, I got into organized basketball during my sixth-grade year, when I was about 12 years old. From there, that was really my starting point of organized basketball and I fell in love with the environment, the competition, and it was something that I was naturally good at so I was able to kind of have a head start.
Was there a certain point when you realized that you were good enough to play college basketball or potentially make it to the NBA?
LH: No, I never really knew at each step if I was good enough to be successful at the next step. Playing youth basketball, I never translated that into whether I was going to be good in high school. I had a good high school career, but I never really thought, “Will I have a good college career?” I was just kind of in the moment at every step, and it really worked out for me that way because I didn’t get too far ahead of myself.
You were drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1998. What was your draft night like and what are some of your favorite memories from that evening?
LH: Oh, man, it was amazing. I had a lot of my family there. In my draft year, the draft was actually in Vancouver, Canada. Being from St. Louis and being in the Midwest, I got a chance to travel up to Canada to Vancouver and bring my family along – my grandmother, my great uncles, my high school coach. It was a big time for me.
You played alongside Allen Iverson in Philadelphia. I know you two developed a close relationship, so what was it like playing with Iverson and becoming friends off the court?
LH: He was one of my good friends and still is one of my good friends. We played together for a short period of time; we’ve been friends way longer. We had a connection from day one, with our family history. I had a little brother that was struggling from some medical issues and he had a little sister that was struggling from some medical issues, so that was really our bonding point. My little brother, [Justin], who’s passed away since then, actually met him before I did. So, we had a great connection off the court first.
I’m so sorry about your brother. When that happened, did that change your outlook on life?
LH: It’s perspective. It makes you live one day at a time. Nothing is promised. You have to love your family members and be there for them through tough times. That’s what it taught me, to really be in the moment and really recognize just the gift that we have.
Absolutely. In your second NBA season, you averaged 22.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.9 steals with the Golden State Warriors. What did that do for your confidence?
LH: It was huge for me. I came from a winning situation in Philadelphia. [But] I wanted to play more, I wanted to explore. I’ve never been a guy that didn’t get a lot of minutes, so that was a little foreign to me at the time. But it was a gift and a curse. Going to another team, it’s not always greener on the other side. But it did give me a chance to explore my game and understand what I could and could not do. It gave me some roles and responsibilities that I took advantage of, so I understood that I could score the basketball in the league. Then, it was just about finding out how to become a winner.
Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
You then joined the Washington Wizards and played with Michael Jordan during his final NBA season. When Jared Jeffries was on the podcast, he said that it was like traveling with The Beatles. What were some of the craziest fan interactions with Jordan that you witnessed?
LH: There were two, for me, that really stood out. On one road trip, we were going to Chicago and we were playing the Bulls. Obviously, MJ is the greatest thing since sliced bread in that city. We were going to a nightclub to hang out. And M would always hang out with the team, but he would just be there. He would just appear. He wouldn’t necessarily go through the front door and we didn’t know if he came through the back door or if they had a secret entrance for him, but he would always just be there. So we were walking in and we saw him coming in. And as we saw him coming in, all the heads turned. Also, camera phones were starting to become a big thing, so you’d see all the phones come up and now everybody is taking pictures and videos of him walking through. Charles Oakley was with him and there was one guy that would not respect the fact that M was trying to get to his seat. He would not move. Charles Oakley was a teammate, was a coach, but he was more so MJ’s enforcer. So, he had some words with the fan and the guy literally got down on his knees and waved his hands up and down like, “MJ, you are the king! You are the greatest!” Then, he just got up and he moved out of the way, and MJ sat down. I was just like, “Okay, I’ve never seen that happen in real life…” I’ve only seen that happen in the movies, so that was one time that stood out to me.
The other time, we were out at an event where they had families and kids around. We were doing some pictures and some autographs and things of that nature. M had a cigar deal and he would always have a cigar, whether it was lit or not lit. But I can remember that, at this occasion, the cigar was lit. There was this mom who wanted her kid to take a picture with MJ and she did not care that he had this stinky cigar that was lit. She forced her kid into MJ’s hands and basically forced the picture. I don’t know if this picture is still around or what, but there should be a picture around of MJ with a 12-to-18-month-old baby with a cigar in his hand. (laughs) Those were two things that stood out to me.
At that point, you were 24 years old. Were you able to learn a lot from Jordan throughout that season?
LH: I learned a lot. A lot of it had to do with off-the-court situations, whether it was how he walked into our locker room before our games, how he would go in to get treatment at a certain time before our games, how he would address the media in a way that just commanded their attention and commanded their respect, how he walked in and out of rooms. He had this presence and there was a feeling that you got when he walked into a room and when he left a room. It was more [of that stuff]. And I’m naturally like that; I’m more of a thinker and more of a watcher, so those are the things that I remember most about MJ – him off the court and his persona.
There are a lot of stories about how he was difficult to play with. In Washington, there was a lot of talk about how he was hard on the young guys (such as Kwame Brown, though Kwame says it was blown out of proportion). What was he like as a teammate and was he hard on you?
LH: We were good. I didn’t have any [issues]. We’d play cards together. I mean, I got a chance to play cards on the plane with MJ! So, I mean, that was just like a “wow” moment for me. He’s very sarcastic. He’ll get on you, he’ll poke you. And that’s sort of the things that he did with Kwame and some of the other guys. Like with Brendan Haywood, he would poke a little bit. But it was all, really, in fun and I really respected him. I guess the respect was mutual because we didn’t have any of those issues.
A lot of people act like Jordan was awful during his Wizards stint. They say he was washed up, but he still averaged 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals in that final season. He obviously wasn’t the same player that we saw in Chicago, but he was still very productive.
LH: I agree, 1,000 percent. He wasn’t the MJ of the Chicago Bulls, but all good players and great players have to go through that phase. But, man, I watched him in practice, I watched him do shooting games, I watched his hand-eye coordination, I watched his fitness level… I saw all the behind-the-scenes things that people may not have gotten a chance to see away from those 48 minutes. And MJ was great until he was done playing, in my opinion.
Not many people can say they played with Michael Jordan and LeBron James. What were the biggest similarities between the two?
LH: I think the natural ability, the attention to detail, the respect that they [had for the game]; they were not going to waste their God-given talent. That stands out to me the most… They had a deeper understanding that they weren’t going to let their talent be wasted. And they were going to inspire other people. I mean, even though I played with Bron when he was younger, we still had young guys who were coming to the team that looked up to Bron. It was a situation where he took advantage of that, and I think MJ took advantage of that as well, knowing that he would impact and inspire a lot of kids through a lot of different generations.
What were the biggest differences between the two?
LH: I think the trash talk. Bron would talk trash and make comments in a joking fashion, but MJ had this way of being really aggressive with the trash talk and really using body language and everything to really get his point across. He seemed to be serious, but he may or may not have been – maybe he was just trying to pull those things out of his teammates and out of his peers. But he just had this way about him [where he wanted] you to really understand that he was the greatest.
LeBron James was 21 years old when you joined the Cavaliers. What was 21-year-old LeBron like?
LH: His ears were open. He was ready to listen. He was ready to incorporate ideas into his game. He had an idea of what he wanted his game to look like, but we had many conversations – you know, early-morning, late-night conversations – about how great he wanted to be and the sort of work that he was putting in to be that great. Also, just his team and who he was surrounding himself with was also a conversation. He felt that he could support in his team in a way that everyone around him could be successful. I think that was his initial goal: For him and everyone around him to gain some success and help their families out.
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The hype and expectations were crazy when he entered the NBA, but he managed to live up to it. You had a front-row seat as he developed. What was it like watching him take those next steps as a player when all eyes were on him and there were so much hype and scrutiny?
LH: I love it, man. I love his progression and how he went about things. There was a certain point where he would not listen to anyone. Then, I think he understood that he could take the good out of the things that he didn’t want to listen to and start to make [positives] out of those things and put those things into his game – the post-ups and taking the late-game shots and, now, he’s shooting the three-ball. I think these are all things that he thought about early on in his foundation and when he came into the league, as far as how he would expand this game and grow his game, and he’s put that work in.
In your opinion, who’s the GOAT?
LH: MJ is the GOAT, in my opinion. That’s really a no-brainer for me. Really, the inspiration behind wanting to push forward came from me watching MJ and how he worked and all of his videos and really instilling his work ethic in myself and trying to do the Breakfast Club. He paved the way so, for me, it’s an easy answer. LeBron, he’s not far behind. But, for me, it’s always been MJ.
You played with Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison in Golden State before reuniting with them in Washington. You put up some monster numbers at that point in your career too. How much fun were those Wizards teams?
LH: They were really fun. Eddie Jordan came in after MJ left and he put in a new system, which was the Princeton system. They were running it in Sacramento as well. And that was the change. I mean, we understood that system, we bought into it. We watched hours of film to understand where teammates would be, where we could get people in the best position to be successful. We really took ownership, along with Eddie allowing us to take ownership, in that offense and in that team. And we just kind of relied on our relationship that we had from another stop and were able to communicate and talk to each other, and we had some success there.
Looking back on your career, is there a specific season that was the most fun for you?
LH: Yeah, my last year in Washington, we had a lot of fun. We had different characters on a team: Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, Brendan Haywood, Jared Jeffries, Jerry Stackhouse. We had a good time hanging out as teammates. Putting all of those guys on one team that may have come from different places or were trying to make a name for themselves, we kind of put our heads together and tried to figure it out. So we were able to get some different accolades individually, but we also got the opportunity to play some playoff basketball before I left.
You were named to the All-Defensive 1st Team that year. What was the key to making an All-Defensive team?
LH: It’s really about scouting. Scouting and you need to have a want to play defense. But it really depends on how much film you want to watch. If you know the other team’s plays like the back of your hand and if you can call the other team’s plays out, once you see a set, then that really puts you in the best position to be a good defender. I wasn’t necessarily the strongest guy or even the quickest guy or the guy who could jump the highest, but being in position gave me an advantage, especially when you talk about steals. That’s really about understanding what the next play is before it happens and being in a position to get another possession for your team.
Which season was the worst or most frustrating for you?
LH: Probably my first season in Cleveland after leaving Washington. I suffered a few hand injuries during my time in Washington and that was something that bothered me. Obviously, if you’re not healthy, then you can’t play and you can’t produce. The best thing you can do is actually be healthy enough to get out there on the floor. When I got to Cleveland, that was really my mindset – to be healthy. But I think I got hurt in the preseason. I didn’t tell anybody until around December or January that I was actually hurt, but I pretty much shattered my middle finger on my right hand, so that season was sort of a here-we-go-again sort of deal with being injured, not being able to play, not being able to live up to the contract that I just signed. So, that was a pretty tough season.
When you sign a big contract, that brings certain expectations and it looms over everything. I’ve talked to other players about the stress that comes with a big deal. It’s one of those things that players don’t like to discuss because you don’t want to seem like you’re complaining about getting millions of dollars, but it’s tough when everyone is criticizing you and bringing up the contract. What was that like for you?
LH: It was tough because, I mean, I obviously felt like I earned it. But, for me, it was personal. It wasn’t really any outside noise that would sway me either way; it was just more so the thoughts that I had inside myself that I wanted to take that next jump and I wanted to be the best player that I can be. If you’re injured, you can’t continue to grow, you can’t continue to learn. That was the tough part for me. But as far as the contract goes, fans and the outside people don’t always understand the amount of hours and the amount of work that goes into being a professional basketball player… I completely know and believe that I put in enough hours and I was focused enough to earn the contract. Now, it was internal, for me to continue to grow as a player. Like I said, it’s hard to do that when you get injured and then you take those steps back.
When you were dealing with different injuries and that’s what was holding you back from reaching your full potential, how tough was that?
LH: It’s tough because I think basketball is about rhythm, it’s about flow. And anytime that you get off and you break that flow, you break that cycle of consistent days of being productive and building and growing upon the next day. So, when you’re injured, you just pulled the plug on those consistent days. For every player that’s playing any sport, the more consistent days you can rope together, the more consistent you’ll be. Because we’re all learning and we’re all computing different things on the fly, so the more time that you can get to apply those things that you learn or you see, then the better you’ll be. If you’re injured, obviously you don’t get that opportunity. Meanwhile, other guys are in their flow, in their mix, and they’re still going. So, it’s tough. Then, you drop back into that [flow] and you have to play catch up while trying to recover from an injury as well.
Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
You have four children. How did fatherhood change you?
LH: It gave me something to look forward to and you have someone that’s looking up to you for direction, for comfort, and to make sure that they are heading in the right direction. They’re going to follow us, they’re going to watch us in every move that we make. They’re not able to critique us, but they’re watching. So, for me, I just gained more insight of who I wanted to be and how I wanted to conduct myself.
Since retiring, you run the Larry Hughes Basketball Academy. What does that entail?
LH: Well, it’s really about getting a chance to inspire and impact young people with the thought process that they won’t all make it to the NBA or the WNBA or play overseas or be paid to play any sport, for that matter. So what we’re doing is we’re using basketball as an understanding of skill development, of building a foundation, but also implementing character development. Because we understand that, again, a lot of these young people will be dropped into our communities, they’ll be dropped into our workforce, so we want to teach them how to communicate with each other, how to work as a team, how to fight through adversity, how to follow direction and how to find and create mentorships. So, we’re using basketball as a vehicle to create even more social skills.
What do you make of how the NBA has evolved in recent years?
LH: I think evolution is positive. I think that’s all a part of growth. I’m not one of those older guys that say, “The game should be played like we played it in the late ’90s and early 2000s!” I’m not one of those guys. I think the game is in a good place. I think what we’re trying to accomplish is being more efficient, and I think, fundamentally, that sounds great. I think it’s just an ongoing process of how we become more efficient. Is that more threes? Or is that more mid-range two-pointers? Well, if you’re a great mid-range shooter, then that’s probably your most efficient shot [and you shouldn’t] be swayed by the fact that the number of threes that are taken in a game is escalating… But evolution is very positive, in my opinion.
How much NBA basketball do you watch these days and are there any players who you enjoy watching the most?
LH: I watch my fair share. When I’m not spending time with the young people, I’m plopped in front of the TV watching any basketball game I can find. I’m mainly watching Boston because Jayson Tatum is from St. Louis and he’s my godson, my nephew. Every time they play, I’m pretty much tuned in. Man, Kevin Durant is out, but anytime KD is playing I like to watch him play. Damian Lillard, I’m checking him out whenever I can. There are a number of guys where I just like their journey and I liked the way that they appeared on the scene. Damian Lillard is one of those main guys that I like to watch today. The way that he goes about his businesses is ’90s-like.
As you mentioned, you and Tatum are both from St. Louis. When did you first get to know him?
LH: When he was born! Me and his dad are best friends, we’re like brothers, so I’ve known Jayson since he was in Pampers. I’ve seen his growth from his Little-League-football days to Little-League-baseball days to his [Little-League] basketball days. I talked about this on our podcast (Bleav in Wizards) that I’ve seen his growth the longest. I’d actually give him the Most Improved [award] because of the things that he’s applied to his game, his attention to detail, his taking on the challenge, his coming back after a year of adversity to make an All-Star team. These are the things that we talk about when we talk about progression. Jayson is right there atop the list.
Speaking of St. Louis, you were in a Nelly music video! The song is “Dilemma” and it came out in 2002. You play Kelly Rowland’s boyfriend. How did that come together and what was that experience like?
LH: Well, being from St. Louis, Nelly is obviously from St. Louis as well. I was playing out in Golden State and I was really active in the entertainment space; I think I had just done a few commercials for a shoe brand or something. They asked me, “Hey, do you want to do a cameo in the video?” I thought it would be a quick scene where I would pop in, they would pan the camera, you’d see my face and that would be it. But when I got there, there was a little bit more to the script. I was the boyfriend in the video that actually had his girlfriend taken by Nelly. (laughs) It was a great experience for me. It allowed me an inside track on how videos are done, the kind of the hurry-up-and-wait sort of thing that goes on with the videos and the eight-hour days for a two-and-a-half-minute video. It was a good experience for me.
You mentioned your podcast, which is called Bleav in Wizards. What’s it like entering the podcast space and how are you enjoying it?
LH: It’s new to me. I’m pretty much a laid-back type of person who’s pretty private, you may say. But I made a New Year’s Resolution that I would get more active and get more into the space because people do want to hear certain stories, and I have a ton of stories. People do want to hear certain insight from a guy that’s a natural thinker. So I just wanted to apply that to into the podcast. And I love the Wizards, so the opportunity came across my desk to talk about the Wizards and give some insight on how the team is doing, but also speak about the league and speak about different things that I understand to be true throughout the NBA, so I just kind of said, “Okay, let’s do it.” We’ve recorded two podcasts so far, so we’re just looking to do more and have some fun with it.
To give people a little preview of what they can hear on your podcast, can you share one more fun story from your playing days?
LH: Oh man, this story has kind of been out there a little bit, but it’s a story with Allen Iverson. Obviously, when I was drafted to Philadelphia, he was there and had a name for itself and had a Reebok deal. This is the son of the city; everybody loved Allen Iverson, and it was known that he did it big as far as with the cars and the Bentley’s and the jewelry and all those things. When I came into the league, we had a lockout, so we weren’t necessarily getting NBA checks, but if you had any endorsements, obviously those things were still happening. So when I went to the bank, I went to the ATM machine and I put my card in and got a couple of dollars out for the day. But I went to the bank with Allen Iverson one day, he didn’t go to the ATM. He didn’t go into the bank to talk to the teller either. He actually went into the vault. Yeah, he actually went into the vault, and this is how he took out his deposit. This was really the first interaction I had with someone who had a lot of money. When they gave Allen his money, it was still wrapped in plastic and that was something completely different than I’d ever seen. Really, I’ve only seen it a couple of times after that. But that’s one of my initial welcome-to-the-NBA stories. That was one of the craziest things that I’d ever seen at that point.
