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Check out these photos from Biaggio Ali Walsh vs. Ed Davis, an amateur lightweight bout at 2023 PFL Playoffs 3 in New York.
Check out these photos from [autotag]Biaggio Ali Walsh[/autotag]’s victory in a lightweight amateur bout over Ed Davis at 2023 PFL Playoffs 3 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. (Photos courtesy of Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)
Former UNC basketball standout Ed Davis is continuing his professional career in China on a new deal.
Former North Carolina Tar Heels standout Ed Davis is continuing his professional basketball career overseas. The forward is officially signing in China as he’s joining Xinjiang Flying Tigers per a report from Sportando.
The 34-year-old Davis just averaged 13 points and 16 rebounds per game while playing in Puerto Rico. He still has some playing days left in him and is hoping to continue a little longer.
After a successful few seasons at North Carolina, Davis was the No. 13 overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors. He’s spent time with Toronto, Memphis, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA.
He then went overseas and played for Mets de Guaynabo in Puerto Rico before joining his new team in China.
In his two seasons at North Carolina, Davis averaged 9.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game for the Tar Heels.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) hosted a combine in Paris, France on January 15-16 at The One Ball Training Center ahead of their third season that is scheduled to tip off in Dakar, Senegal on March 11. Thirty players from around the world …
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) hosted a combine in Paris, France on January 15-16 at The One Ball Training Center ahead of their third season that is scheduled to tip off in Dakar, Senegal on March 11. Thirty players from around the world participated in the two-day scouting event.
Former Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder served as the combine camp director, and he was joined by his former player Ed Davis. Davis, who played 12 seasons in the NBA, talked with HoopsHype in a wide-ranging conversation about his experience at the combine, his career, young stars in the NBA, and of course, Victor Wembanyama.
What would happen if the NBA canceled the season because players refused to play? What would be the short-term and long-term consequences?
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about the faction of NBA players who are against resuming the 2019-20 season. Some players are understandably worried that restarting play will shift attention away from the Black Lives Matter movement (in addition to their concerns about COVID-19, the injury risk and the “bubble” restrictions).
There’s also some concern in NBA circles about the alarming number of new coronavirus cases popping up in Florida, according to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes and Zach Lowe.
Hypothetically speaking, what would happen if the NBA had to cancel the remainder of the 2019-20 regular season and playoffs (either because players refused to suit up or due to the health risks)? What short-term and long-term consequences may arise as a result of this decision?
THE FINANCIAL IMPACT
If the season gets canceled, players would lose $1.2 billion in salary (or 35 percent of their total pay), according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Also, the NBA would lose $2 billion in revenue, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. NBA agents have been delivering “stern warnings” to their players recently, explaining “the financial implications of a lost season,” writes Wojnarowski.
This $2 billion drop in league revenue would have a significant effect on the NBA’s salary cap. Before this Orlando plan came together, experts like John Hollinger and Danny LeRoux of The Athletic estimated that a canceled regular season could lead to an $8 million dip in the cap (as HoopsHype outlined). But if the NBA playoffs were canceled as well, the cap could decrease by more than $10 million (with some estimating a dip of approximately $15 million).
Not only would this hurt every single NBA team, this would negatively impact any player who’s set to hit free agency in the near future (or anyone whose salary is based on a percentage of the cap).
When NBA veteran Ed Davis spoke to HoopsHype this week, he was concerned about how much money players would lose if the season was canceled due to players sitting out. He argued that players could make a bigger impact in terms of social reform if they get paid and each donate a portion of their salary.
“With where we’re at as a Black culture and how we’re so far behind when it comes to black people and the wealth we have, us missing the rest of this season (and possibly next year), we’re talking about billions and billions of dollars for the black community because a lot of guys in the NBA are black men from the inner cities and things like that,” Davis said. “[W]e can take that money – those billions and billions of dollars – that we’re going to make and pour it back in the community. You can look at it like that – that us losing out on that money would hurt generations of [our] people.”
If a player chooses to sit out when their team resumes play next month, he can’t be punished. However, “they will lose payment on games missed – 1/92nd of the money owed to them,” according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Wojnarowski.
If players want to sit out due to a medical issue, they will be evaluated by an independent panel of doctors that the NBA and NBPA put together. If the panel of doctors determine that the player’s medical condition puts them in a “higher-risk COVID-19 category,” they would be excused with pay, according to ESPN’s Shelburne and Wojnarowski.
If a number of stars decide to sit out, that’s when the NBA might start to worry. If a handful of Top-20 players refused to take the court, that would likely affect the on-court product and people would be even more likely to put an asterisk alongside the 2020 championship.
OWNERS COULD TERMINATE THE CBA
As agents have warned their players, the long-term consequences of canceling the season could be even more severe than the short-term hit. If the NBA couldn’t resume play because the majority of players decided to sit out, there’s a strong possibility that the owners would terminate the current collective bargaining agreement and force a lockout. (If the cancellation was due to COVID-19, it seems unlikely that the owners would terminate the CBA).
Right now, the CBA is relatively player-friendly, but that could change if the season is canceled and the CBA is ripped up.
“Already, the NBA and NBPA have to negotiate a long list of financial and competitive items to account for the loss of revenue,” Wojnarowski wrote in a recent ESPN article. “But agents expect that the league would react to the cancellation of this season by blowing up the CBA, locking out the players and moving to implement a more unfavorable financial share of basketball-related income, which is now essentially a 50-50 split.”
If the owners terminate the CBA and force a lockout, that would likely put the 2020-21 season in jeopardy too.
“If we don’t play, I honestly think there’s a chance that we won’t play next year,” Davis said. “The guys that came before us put in so much work and it took so much to get to this point. To throw that down drain because of a quick, emotional decision? I just don’t think that’s a smart thing to do at all… If we take a stand and don’t play, we’re not going to benefit from that. We’re going to lose all the way around. It’s just not going to be good.”
If the 2020-21 season were to be canceled or even shortened, as Davis mentioned, players would lose even more money (potentially billions of dollars in salary).
If the season was canceled and owners forced a lockout by terminating the CBA, players would have to continue working out on their own since they wouldn’t be allowed to use their franchise’s facility or communicate with team staffers. It’s possible that players would be away from their teams for more than a year. Even in the best-case scenario (if the 2020-21 season starts on time), players would be on their own for nine months. After such a long break, there could be significantly more injuries and the on-court product could suffer once play resumes.
If enough players don't go, the season will be canceled. The NBA will rip up the CBA and we'll have a lockout. Decisions, right or wrong, have consequences. The stakes of an individual's decision impacts many, many others. https://t.co/sFeWKaH9or
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) June 13, 2020
LOSING A HUGE PLATFORM
Some players have argued that if they don’t play in Orlando, they’d be missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make their voices heard on the biggest stage imaginable. If the NBA resumes the 2019-20 season next month, millions of people who are missing sports are expected to watch (even if they aren’t big basketball fans), giving players an enormous platform.
As Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated wrote recently: “This isn’t the NFL. This isn’t Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf’s NBA. The current NBA has stood beside players in their fight against racial injustice and police brutality. The league is listening, and players are in a unique position to let their voices be heard.
“What if Jesse Owens didn’t compete to win four gold medals during the 1936 Berlin Games and, in the process, crush Adolf Hitler’s myth of Aryan supremacy? What if Tommie Smith and John Carlos didn’t race during the 1968 Mexico Games or hold a black fist in the air? … What if NBA players decline to use their largest platform while playing for three months to voice their message against racial injustice and police brutality?”
Davis agreed that players should take advantage of the fact that millions of people around the world will be watching.
“I mean, this is really the only time that you’re going to get that [audience] and it’s the only time you’re going to get 22 teams together for seven weeks,” Davis said. “There’s some really great stuff that we can do for the world. I feel like all of us doing it together and working with the NBA and working with these owners, we can really help out. I hope that when we get down there, we can do that together… I think that we have so many resources through the NBA and working with the NBA, that’s how we’re gonna make things happen.”
FAN FRUSTRATION
When players (such as Irving and Howard) started speaking up about their concerns in recent weeks, quite a few fans immediately began expressing their frustration about the take. (It doesn’t help that Irving and Howard are polarizing players who already have many detractors.)
However, if fans freaked out at the mere suggestion of sitting out the season, imagine how they’d react if the season was indeed canceled? It wouldn’t be pretty.
During past lockouts, both sides have tried to shape the narrative and win over the public’s support. The same thing would likely happen if the season were canceled because players chose to sit out (especially if the CBA were terminated and there was a lockout). In this situation, the owners would seemingly have all of the leverage and could paint the players as the “bad guys,” blaming them for the cancellation (even though the players’ concerns are absolutely legitimate).
If the 2020-21 season was also canceled or shortened (since a new CBA would have to be negotiated and many of the same issues would still need to be resolved), fans would be even more upset. There’s always the fear that fans will lose interest if the NBA is out of sight, out of mind for a lengthy period of time.
Even if the two sides were able to negotiate a new CBA and start the 2020-21 season in December (which is the best-case scenario), that would still be nine months without basketball.
If the 2020-21 season was also in jeopardy, that could be a crushing blow to the league.
Sam Amick of The Athletic discusses the NBA’s plan to resume the season, how the bubble will work, his playoff predictions and more.
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On this episode of The HoopsHype Podcast, Alex Kennedy is joined by Sam Amick of The Athletic. Sam recently obtained the NBA’s 113-page manual detailing their plan to resume the season and how the bubble in Orlando will work. Sam discusses what to expect at Disney, the group of players who are against playing, whether the season is in jeopardy, his playoff predictions, his MVP pick and more. Time-stamps are below!
1:05: Sam breaks down the NBA’s plan to restart the season, starting with a wearable device for players that will track their vitals and health data.
2:30: After reading the 113-page manual, Sam discusses if the NBA’s plan seems thorough and if they’ve done a good job preparing for every scenario.
4:50: Sam discusses the rules that prevent players from leaving the Disney bubble and how the league will enforce them.
6:45: Alex and Sam talk about why Disney’s Wide World of Sports was selected to host the NBA season.
9:25: The 113-page memo lists a number of entertainment options that will be available to players while they’re in the bubble, which Sam discusses.
13:30: There’s some concern about Disney employees breaking the bubble since they will be coming and going and some won’t be getting tested.
15:30: All league and team personnel will be wearing proximity alarms that go off when you’re within six feet of someone for more than five seconds. Players will be encouraged to wear these too.
18:10: We’ve heard that some NBA players don’t feel comfortable resuming the season. Will there be a lot of players who choose to sit out?
20:35: As Sam reported, LeBron James wasn’t on Friday’s call and he wants to resume play. Sam discusses LeBron’s stance and why it’s significant.
24:10: With so much talk about players sitting out, is the season in jeopardy?
25:10: Some players believe that playing will distract from the Black Lives Matter movement; others believe that playing allows them to support the movement even more because they’ll be on a huge stage and have more money to donate.
30:25: If this season were to get canceled, the 2020-21 season may be in jeopardy too since the owners would rip up the Collective Bargaining Agreement and force a lockout (as Ed Davis told HoopsHype recently).
33:00: This is essentially going to be like pick-up basketball with really high stakes. How will this environment with no fans affect the on-court product?
37:10: Sam gives him 2020 NBA Finals prediction and his pick to win it all.
38:55: Alex talks about how the players who had access to a court during this break will be at a huge advantage when the season restarts.
40:45: Sam discusses his favorite sleeper team entering the postseason.
42:10: Sam shares his vote for the Most Valuable Player award and explains his pick.
Ed Davis claims it’s “It’s easy for a guy like Kyrie [Irving] to say that he’ll give everything back” for social reform.
Utah Jazz Ed Davis wants basketball back.
He made this clear in his conversation with Alex Kennedy of USA Today SMG’s HoopsHype.
Davis has also ‘always been for’ the Black Lives Matter movement. However, the former Brooklyn Nets big man does not agree with Kyrie Irving and Dwight Howard‘s approach.
And Davis made it clear how he felt about the Nets point guard and Los Angeles Lakers center’s idea that the NBA shouldn’t try to resume the 2019-20 season at Disney World in Orlando now that the movement has the attention of the nation:
It’s easy for a guy like Kyrie to say that he’ll give everything back [for social reform], but would he really give everything back? It’s easy for Dwight Howard to say that we don’t need to play when he’s in Atlanta in his $20 million mansion. But there are other guys on the rosters who need this money to provide for whoever they’re taking care of and things like that. It’s easy for the superstars in the league to say this and how they feel about this and that. But it means a lot more when it comes from the role players and the guys that [aren’t stars]. There are so many different perspectives because there are so many different levels in the NBA. Like I said, it’s so easy for the superstars to say, ‘Let’s just not play,’ and they’re good. But some guys can’t just do that. There are lives on the line and, like I said, generational wealth on the line. These are the hits that we’re going to take if we don’t play.
Davis’ emphasis on generational wealth is one current Nets wing Garrett Temple has touched on in his support of continuing 2019-20, too. Before reports of Irving’s stance surfaced, Temple tried to illustrate to his colleagues why it’s important they continue the 2019-20 season (the novel coronavirus pandemic permitting).
RELATED: Stephen A. Smith: ‘I totally disagree with Dwight Howard and Kyrie Irving’
Utah Jazz center Ed Davis opens up about Friday’s conference call between players and why he feels the NBA season should resume as planned.
On Friday evening, 80-plus NBA players got together on a conference call to discuss whether they should go along with the league’s plan to resume the 2019-20 season in July. Utah Jazz center Ed Davis was one of the players on that hour-and-45-minute call (and several other calls like it). The 10-year NBA veteran opened up to HoopsHype about the discussion and why he feels the players should play when the season resumes in Orlando.
Players have brought up concerns about COVID-19, the injury risk, the bubble, shifting attention away from the Black Lives Matter movement and so on. Based on your conversations with players, what’s the biggest issue or concern that players have about resuming the season?
Ed Davis: I think you have to look at it from every player’s own perspective. For me, personally, I’m for the Black Lives Matter movement. I’ve always been for it. When I was in Portland, me and Moe Harkless would go through the inner cities and really try to get involved in police reform. We’d bring black kids and the police together, trying to help them find some common ground and gain respect for each other. Like I said, I’m all for that. At the same time, I know a lot of guys are iffy about playing. But it’s sort of bigger than that because if we don’t play, I honestly think there’s a chance that we won’t play next year. I just had a 2-month-old so of course I don’t want to go away for two months, but it’s just something I feel that we have to do to save the league and for all the people who came behind us and all the people who are going to come after us. This is coming from a 10-year vet; I’m on the back end of my career and I’ve made enough money, so it’s not really about the money. It’s more about the future guys – a guy like Donovan Mitchell, who is looking at a $160 million dollar contract but he might only get $90 million if the cap drops.
If we don’t play, I honestly think there’s a chance that we won’t play next year
I’m looking at it like: With where we’re at as a Black culture and how we’re so far behind when it comes to black people and the wealth we have, the money we have, us missing the rest of this season (and possibly next year), we’re talking about billions and billions of dollars for the black community because a lot of guys in the NBA are black men from the inner cities and things like that. So, the way I look at it, we have to play for that simple fact. I saw Stephen Jackson say that we can’t play because it’s going to be a distraction. Yeah, it’s going to be a distraction, but we can take that money – those billions and billions of dollars – that we’re going to make and pour it back in the community. You can look at it like that – that us losing out on that money would hurt generations of people.
For me, I make $5 million a year and I’m taking a 25-percent pay cut [due to COVID-19], so I’m losing around $30,000 every two weeks. That’s hundreds of thousands of dollars, and that’s what is creating generational wealth and that’s what is really going to help the black community. I don’t know if guys are looking at it like that. But that’s just my perspective and the reason why I think we need to play. I get it, we need to take a stand; we got to do this, we got to do that. But you got to have money to do some of these things and make some of these things happen. [Change] isn’t just gonna happen because of us boycotting and not playing and shutting it down. And then, we’re really gonna be set back.
If the season resumes, the whole world would be watching. You can make the argument that playing would provide players with a huge platform to make their voices heard and highlight this movement.
ED: Yeah, exactly. I mean, this is really the only time that you’re going to get that and it’s the only time you’re going to get 22 teams together for seven weeks, so we can really get down and meet every couple of weeks and do some really cool things. There’s some really great stuff that we can do for the world. I feel like all of us doing it together and working with the NBA and working with these owners, we can really help out. For me, I want to fight against police brutality. That’s my cause; that’s really what I want to focus on. I hope that when we get down there, we can do that together. So, like I said, I’m all for us playing and I feel like we need to play. I think a lot of these guys know really need to educate themselves on what’s really going to happen if we do take a stand and don’t play.
It’s easy for a guy like Kyrie [Irving] to say that he’ll give everything back [for social reform], but would he really give everything back? It’s easy for Dwight Howard to say that we don’t need to play when he’s in Atlanta in his $20 million mansion. But there are other guys on the rosters who need this money to provide for whoever they’re taking care of and things like that. It’s easy for the superstars in the league to say this and how they feel about this and that. But it means a lot more when it comes from the role players and the guys that [aren’t stars]. There are so many different perspectives because there are so many different levels in the NBA. Like I said, it’s so easy for the superstars to say, “Let’s just not play,” and they’re good. But some guys can’t just do that. There are lives on the line and, like I said, generational wealth on the line. These are the hits that we’re going to take if we don’t play.
It’s easy for a guy like Kyrie to say that he’ll give everything back, but would he really give everything back?
How many players participated in Friday’s call?
ED: It was 80-something. I don’t know exactly how many, but it was in the 80s, for sure. It was a lot of players.
I think some people saw that 80 players were on the call and thought, “Wow, 80 players want to sit out.” But based on what you’re saying, it sounds like some players on the call absolutely want to play and just wanted to hear what the others had to say. Is that accurate?
ED: Yeah, for sure. There were 80 guys on the call and maybe 10 who spoke, and of the guys who spoke, it was probably 50/50 – only half said that we might need to take a stand and that playing might not be the best idea. I can only speak for myself and the guys that I communicate with – and I communicate with a lot of guys in the NBA – but I think they are on board to play. Obviously, it’s a tough situation; we’re in a pandemic. But this is when we really have to stick together and really use our platform and really make a difference. I think that we have so many resources through the NBA and working with the NBA, that’s how we’re gonna make things happen. Taking a stand and not playing, I just don’t think that’s going to better the situation. I guess it might be a little distraction, but it’s on us to turn that distraction into a positive thing.
As you mentioned, if the players sit out, we may not have basketball next season either. The owners could rip up the CBA and then we’d have a lockout. It’s possible that the new CBA wouldn’t be as player-friendly. Do the players who want to sit out understand the financial consequences that could come with not playing?
ED: Yeah, I think a lot of guys understand that. But, like I said, sometimes the guys that are speaking up, those are the guys that [are set] financially. They can say certain things because they made so much money in their career that they can miss a year. They might be on the back end of their career. Like, with me, I’m on the back end of my career and if I don’t play another game or make another dollar, I’m still gonna be fine. But I just know what this is going to do to the future. And it’s more for the guys that came before us and put in so much work and it took so much to get to this point. To throw that down drain because of a quick, emotional decision? I just don’t think that’s a smart thing to do at all.
Sometimes the guys that are speaking up, those are the guys that are set financially
I’m with the movement and with every cause. I even thought about this: We, the players in the NBA, could take a percent of the BRI (Basketball Related Income) and give that back to the community. There are things like that we could do and there are too many powerful people in the NBA – with the owners and the players working with Commissioner [Adam] Silver – that if we take a stand and don’t play, we’re not going to benefit from that. We’re going to lose all the way around. It’s just not going to be good. You don’t have enough players who are willing to do that, and I don’t feel like it’s right for a player to force other guys to do that. It’s your decision. If you want to take a stand, take a stand; if not, it’s your choice. But to try to make a whole group do something? Nah, I ain’t really with that.
You said that there have been a number of calls about resuming the season in addition to Friday’s conference call. How many calls have there been and what have those discussions been like?
ED: There have been a lot of calls; I don’t know off the top of my head. Obviously, the guys who are on the Union’s Board of NBA Player Representatives have been on even more calls, but I’ve been on a lot. The Players’ Association has been doing a hell of a job of letting us know what’s going on and answering our questions. The Utah Jazz had a two-hour Zoom call with Michele [Roberts] and the Players’ Association, so if guys had any questions or concerns, we had an opportunity to ask them. It’s up to the players to get on these calls and ask these questions, and the Players’ Association has been available to us in every way possible.
One player told me that some quotes from Friday’s call were taken out of context, and I saw that Donovan Mitchell seemed to take issue with a tweet saying that he talked about sitting out. Have the reports about the call been accurate?
ED: Yeah, a lot of them have been accurate, but they’re just taking certain quotes and certain things. So, they’re getting real information, but they’re not getting the whole story; they’re just getting bits and pieces of it. When a quote comes out, you can spin it however you want in your head. The quotes are accurate – because I have been on the calls – but there’s more stuff that’s being said before and after that the general public isn’t seeing.
Do you guys have another call scheduled or are you planning to have a conversation with the NBA? What are the next steps?
ED: I mean, I don’t know exactly. I’m not on the Board [of NBA Player Representatives] with the Players’ Association, but, like I said, I’m on every call. I got a lot of respect for Chris Paul; I think he’s doing things right. And with CP and Michele working with Adam Silver, I really think that we can do some positive things for the community. But it’s gonna take all of us to do it together. Us taking a stand and not playing, that’s not the answer. There’s too much money that would be lost that can really help a lot of people and feed people who are in these poverty-stricken places and crazy environments. We can take that money and do some great things with it. This is my opinion, but I just don’t think us protesting is the right answer.
Based on the conversations you’ve had with players, do you think the season will resume in July?
ED: Yeah, I’m about 99.9 percent sure that we’ll finish the season. I know a couple guys from the Jazz have concerns, but in our group chat when we talk, everybody’s on board and we’re ready to play. We’re hoping that we can start doing contact stuff soon, so the team I play on, we’re ready to go. I don’t know how it is for some of these other teams. But I’ve played with so many different guys in the NBA and I talk to so many different guys and, for the most part, guys want to play. Obviously, you got some guys that, for different reasons, might not want to play. For some guys, there’s a lot on the line. You got some guys who are in a contract year. If I’m Jordan Clarkson or Donovan [Mitchell], I might not want to play, just for the simple fact that I had a good year and I’m looking for a contract extension, so why would I risk getting hurt? But, at the same time, the reason why we’re in this situation is because we’re in a pandemic. This sh** doesn’t happen often, and that’s life. It could be worse. It could always be worse. But sh** happens in life. You just got to put your hard hat on and get to work.
I’m about 99.9 percent sure that we’ll finish the season
But I do think if we play and go to Orlando, we can sit down with Commissioner Silver and figure out something that we really can do so that these people who are getting murdered on camera can get the justice that they deserve. That’s where all of this started and, like I said, I’m all for it. I’ve been going to the prisons in Richmond for years. I do it all the time – any chance I get in the summer – going in, talking to people, trying to help, trying to bridge that gap. So, I’m all on board. If there’s something that anybody in the NBA wants to do, I’ll support it. But not playing definitely isn’t the right answer; I know that for a fact. That’s how I feel about the whole situation. We’re in crazy times; we’re in a pandemic and black guys are being murdered on camera. And then [the cops] are going home on paid leave, which is not right. That definitely has to change, and this change is not going to happen over a week, over a month or over a year. This is going to take decades. It’s going to take the people who are in their 20s and raising kids to stop the hatred and stop the racism. That’s what it’s going to take. So, I’m not with the quick fixes or emotional decisions; they never really work out well. When you have a plan and find a solution, that’s when you get the most success and that’s when good things happen. I think with CP, Michele and Adam Silver, they’re gonna do that. Because, in my eyes, they’re always doing great work – especially CP. With what he’s dealing with – all of these superstars in his ear, Adam Silver and Michele in his ear and he has his own thoughts on everything – I got a lot of respect for him and I think he’s doing a hell of a job leading us.
You mentioned that this is going to take a long time. I noticed that the final sentence of Dwight Howard’s statement said, “No basketball till we get things resolved.” While I think he has good intentions, I don’t think he realizes what it’s going to take to change this. It’s not as if sitting out the season will suddenly fix all of these things and change the system.
ED: Right. Just because the cop that killed George Floyd may get locked up or even get the death penalty, that doesn’t fix a racist cop in, you know, Mobile, AL. There are so many steps that it’s going to take. But us players getting all of this attention in all these countries [could be good] for the movement. And I’m all for coming back and having everyone take a small percentage of their pay and put it in a fund that goes to the movement. It can be used to help fight police brutality and things like that. That’s where my mind is at. I don’t think sitting out for a year is going to fix it because it’s a broken system. We’re dealing with racist cops and cops that are not really qualified; we’re dealing with cops that have 10 different complaints against them yet they still have jobs. That’s not right! So, yeah, it’s going to take time and it’s going to take a lot of people. I feel like the NBA [can help]. When the NBA shut down, pretty much the whole world shut down. Now, we’re getting back and there are so many things that we can do if we all work together and put all of these minds and all these resources together. Because with the NBA, it’s unlimited, man. Hopefully we can make changes and 20 years from now, we’re looking back like, “Damn, the NBA changed everything, starting with Stephen Jackson and George Floyd (R.I.P.).
Al-Farouq Aminu talks about joining the Magic, leaving the Blazers, adjusting to a new team, being a top high school recruit and much more.
After making the playoffs last season, the Orlando Magic added Al-Farouq Aminu on a three-year deal in hopes that he could push them over the edge. The 29-year-old is a versatile forward who can defend multiple positions, and he’s coming off a Western Conference Finals run with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Aminu is still getting acclimated in Orlando, but he’s providing veteran leadership to the Magic’s young core and contributing to the team’s excellent defense, which ranks fourth-best in the league (as they’re allowing just 99.4 points per 100 possessions). HoopsHype caught up with Aminu to talk about joining the Magic, leaving the Blazers after four years, adjusting to a new team, being one of the top high school recruits in the country and more.
What was your free-agency process like and why did you decide to join the Orlando Magic?
Al-Farouq Aminu: I like that they’re a young team and I thought that I could bring some veteran leadership to them. Also, they went to the playoffs last year, so I knew they had a good team. I like their style of play and different things like that. I’m glad I made that decision.
How is the adjustment process going? I know when you join a new team, you have to get used to a new team, new system, new coaches, new city and so on. What’s that transition been like?
AFA: Like you said, it’s a lot of new things coming at you. But that’s why we’re professionals; we have to figure out the different ways that people play and the different schemes – all of the different ways that we’re going to attack with this team. Also, you’re adjusting in your home life. You’re getting settled in and moving all of your furniture and things like that. It’s a big adjustment, but it’s coming along smoothly.
You’ve changed teams several times throughout your career. In your experience, how long does it take everyone to get acclimated?
AFA: It just depends, man. It’s so different from team to team because of the schedule, the preseason being even shorter now and things like that. It matters who you’re playing too. It’s a mixture of things, so I think it really varies. Sometimes, it takes people a while. Sometimes, it just clicks early. It’s a number of things that have to happen for the personnel to click. But we’re starting to find our stride a bit.
Since arriving in Orlando, what’s been your first impression of the team and the city?
AFA: Aw man, it’s been so great. It’s a big change from Portland because now I’m in a sunny state. I’m wearing shorts today! It’s kind of surreal to still be wearing shorts at this time of year. It’s been really nice, man. It’s a nice change of pace, for sure. There’s a really cool energy around this team. We have a lot of great guys. From top to bottom, everyone has a really great attitude, so that makes you enjoy coming in to work. It’s nice. All of the guys are great. They’ve exceeded my expectations, for sure.
You mentioned that you were attracted to this team because of the young core (Jonathan Isaac, Aaron Gordon, Mo Bamba, Markelle Fultz, etc.). Do you get excited when you think about what this team could become?
AFA: Yeah, for sure. I really wanted to play a part in molding them. In a couple of years, when these guys are in their prime and doing their thing, it’ll be cool to be able to say that I put my touch on that. That’ll be cool. I was talking to them the other day and I told them, “Ya’ll are going to make a lot of money! Ya’ll play the right way, ya’ll are young and the league is just changing. Guys are getting paid.” I like to play around with them (laughs). But if they keep playing the same way that they’re playing now, they should be able to do okay for themselves.
I was impressed with the strong culture that you guys created in Portland; it was built around working really hard, trusting each other and having an us-against-the-world mentality. How is the culture in Orlando and what can you do to contribute to it?
AFA: They brought back a lot of the same team, so they’ve already kind of started it. My job is just to come in and add on to it, to build upon what they already have in place. I don’t feel like there’s any need to switch up their whole culture or anything. I think they’re heading in the right direction, so I’m just trying to add a couple things that I’ve picked up over the years from being a vet, having some success and winning.
I remember one day JI (Jonathan Isaac) was like, “Man, are you always the last one to leave?” He thought it was funny. I told him, “I like to stay and take my time when I’m at the facility. I have to get in all of my treatments and things like that. This is the only thing that we have to do. You don’t need to be rushing home.” There are little things like that, I think, that add to the culture. But these are guys who are already hitting their stride; it’d be different if they were rookies, but these are guys who get it. And they’ve had good vets like DJ [Augustin] and some of the older guys on the team who kind brought things together. I just feel like I can add another element.
Last year, you went to the Western Conference Finals with the Portland Trail Blazers. What was that like and did you take away any things that you can pass on to your new teammates in Orlando?
AFA: It was fun to do. You’re obviously trying to win the grand prize, but every experience like that helps you eventually get there. I think it was a really cool experience. You start to learn what it takes to win in the playoffs. There are things that work in the regular season and then, over the years, you learn what works and what doesn’t work in the playoffs.
Like I was saying about staying in the facility late, I remember I used to always think to myself, “Wow, these guys are playing all the way into July?!” It was hard for me to wrap my mind around that. But you start to understand what you need to do in order to prepare your body to go through that. Sometimes, you only understand what it takes to get through 82 games. Well, you have to learn what it takes to get through another 20-to-25 games. You have to win another 16 games, so you learn how to prepare your body for that and then do it. You have to do more than what you normally do and that’s something you learn from experiencing it. They understand that here because I’m always preaching that. Sometimes, you have to take your own lumps and go through it yourself though.
You were with the Blazers for four years and you had a lot of success there. And I know you were close with some of the players there. Was it tough to leave Portland this past summer?
AFA: Kinda sorta. It was [tough] because I’m leaving the guys I was playing with, but a lot of the guys ended up leaving anyway, so it was kind of like, “Well, nobody is there.” Not “nobody,” but you know what I mean. The gang’s not even there anymore anyway, so it wouldn’t have been the same even if I had stayed. It would’ve been weird had I stayed. It’s not the organization, it’s the people that you get to work with every day that you end up [getting close with]. For a couple of months, you see these guys and talk to these guys even more than your family. They shape you and you’re growing with each other. Then, the next thing you know, they may not be there. Sometimes, it’s just one person; like, I remember the first time it was Ed [Davis]. Me and him came into Portland together and we became really cool. Then, after three years, he was gone and that was tough. Then, I started becoming really cool with Moe [Harkless] and Evan [Turner] and now they’re gone, so it’s like man… It’s kind of already tough to make friends in this industry anyway and then guys move on. And you still get to talk to them and stay close, but it’s different. But I think that’s why it isn’t as traumatic because those guys are in different places anyway, so the gang is gone.
Guys like Quentin Richardson and DeShawn Stevenson have told me that they were really frustrated when the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks’ front offices broke those teams up because they felt like they still had some great years left in them. Do you feel like this team could’ve done some special things had the Blazers’ front office kept guys like Ed, Moe, Evan and yourself a bit longer?
AFA: We did special things!
I know, but did you guys want to stay together longer? I guess that’s what I’m asking.
AFA: Did we want to stay together longer? Yeah, always! I mean, when you’re already having success and you already like the people, it seems like a win-win. You might as well ride it until the wheels fall off! It doesn’t seem like there’s a need to break it up unless everybody is just losing too much money or something like that, then you kind of understand. Then, in a sense, the players break it up. But I didn’t feel like that was the case. It was more so broken up just because. But I’ve seen a lot of teams get broken up so it’s not really that surprising.
I recently interviewed Jonathan Isaac and he was talking about how this Magic team takes pride in their defense and that the goal is to have one of the NBA’s top defenses. Right now, you guys are ranked fourth in the league. Is that a goal that you guys discuss as a team and do you think this team can get to No. 1?
AFA: Every day, man. We discuss it every day. We want to be a Top-5 defensive team, if not No. 1. I think it’s definitely something that this team has the ability to do and we just have to continue to click together and understand where we need to be in order to do it. I think the more and more we play together and get that cohesiveness, the better we’ll become on defense. And out of the gate, we’re already talented on defense. Now, it’s just getting that continuity and that will take us over the top.
You mentioned that you want to be one of the veteran leaders in Orlando. When you were younger, who were some of the veterans who helped you the most?
AFA: I didn’t really have what I think of as veteran leadership until I got to Dallas. Then, when I got to Dallas, it was Jameer Nelson for a little bit, but then he got traded. I was able to look at what Dirk Nowitzki was doing every day. I watched what Monta Ellis did every day. Then, later in the year, Rajon Rondo came as well as Amare Stoudemire. All of those guys were great.
During your sophomore season, the Los Angeles Clippers traded you to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the blockbuster Chris Paul trade. Did going through that teach you about the business side of the NBA at a young age? And what are some things you learned from that experience?
AFA: Yeah. Even during that first year, I started to learn about the business of the NBA and what it all means. But then in my second year, that’s when I’m like, “Wow, this is really a business.” Even before my trade, I was seeing the business side a lot because that was the lockout year too. With everything that went down, my first two years were like a business course in a sense. It kind of just opened my eyes to what the NBA really is. I appreciated it, though. In the long run, that probably helped me out and prevented me from being so naïve to the business side of this game. Sometimes, that can happen to players. But there’s no way around it; you’re going to experience the business side of the NBA at some point. I’m glad it happened to me early.
What has it been like adjusting to Steve Clifford? He’s done a great job of getting the most out of Nikola Vucevic and helping the defense. What’s it been like playing for him and his staff?
AFA: He has a very high basketball IQ and, like you said, he really understands defenses – he’s very good at that. He pushes us to be a really good defensive team, which is really cool. I’ve been with an offensive team for a while, so it’s kind of cool that the defensive end is being highlighted. It’s just a different pace. I’m enjoying it, for sure.
You were one of the top high-school recruits in the country back in 2008. I’m really interested in that. Do you think you had to mature quicker than your peers because you had so much on the line and you were under the microscope?
AFA: Yeah, of course, man. It’s like being a childhood star, you know what I mean? I remember when I transferred to my high school as a sophomore, I was coming into this school as the new kid and I thought nobody would know me and I could just try to fit in where I fit in. I remember kids being like, “Ohh, you’re Al-Farouq Aminu! We’re going to be so good this year!” They knew my stats from AAU and all of that. And this is while I’m in high school! I didn’t get to just be a regular kid and blend in. Sometimes, you just want to be able run to the store and just do regular stuff. You can’t just do what everybody else does.
But then again, when I was growing up, I always wanted everyone to think I was good at basketball. It’s like a double-edged sword. You don’t realize what that will end up being. You want to be a top prospect, but then everybody ends up knowing who you are. And a lot of people like basketball. At first, I just wanted everyone in my neighborhood to be like, “Wow, he’s really, really good!” Then, my neighborhood became the U.S., became the world.
I don’t think people realize the sacrifices that top recruits have to make too. Your friends may be partying on the weekends, but when all eyes are on you like that, you have to carry yourself differently. You’re also working extremely hard so that you can make it to the next level.
AFA: Yeah, man. I don’t think a lot of people understand. The sacrifices start early too. Now, I’m looking at my little cousin who plays football, he’s a quarterback, and he’s already making those same sacrifices at a really young age. You have to do those things if you want to succeed, though. I remember being in the gym really late and my friends would be like, “Yo, are you coming?” They’d go hang out in the neighborhood or play video games, but I’d have to be like, “Nah, I have work to do.” But my financial situation growing up wasn’t the greatest either, so it’s kind of like I just started [working] earlier than most people do.
I think Jalen Ramsey said, “You live like nobody else, so that you can live like nobody else later.” The beauty of it is that I had to mature quicker, but then when I’m like 35 years old, I’ll be able to live a life that most other 35-year-olds can’t live. It’s the long game. I’m not mad how it turned out for me… It’s a trade off.
