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After two years at the University of Houston playing for head coach Kelvin Sampson, Nate Hinton has learned quite a bit about what it takes to succeed at higher levels of basketball.
Now, as he hopes to enjoy a fruitful career in the NBA, he’s taking the lessons learned, a versatile skillset and the hopes of his hometown on his shoulders.
The transcript for this interview has been partially edited for brevity and clarity.
Hey Nate, How are you? Thank you so much for your time today.
NH: I’m doing good… Sure thing, no problem.
Where are you calling from today?
NH: Gastonia, North Carolina.
How is it down there? Are things slowing down a little bit?
NH: Everything is pretty good; Gastonia is a small town where there’s not too many people. Everybody knows each other, but you still meet new people every single day. It’s not as busy as Chicago or as Houston.
What have you been doing since the season ended? It’s been a strange time for everybody. What have you done to stay busy?
NH: Working out, just trying to keep sharpening my blade, read a couple books … spending time with family. If this [pandemic] hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have been home around this time. I’ve had a couple of months, four months being away from home, to be around family.
You guys were coming off of a big win against Memphis in your last game, which is huge for a program like yours. What have you been able to do to reconcile with the fact this season was cut short in such a strange way?
NH: Right? We got back — we were on our way — to the conference championship. And we were clicking at the right time. I knew that it was a young team. We battled through some early growing pains but then you start seeing the fruits of that growth. Our best basketball was ahead of us; we were going to make a deep run, go to the conference championship, win the conference championship and make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. I was feeling strong enough to put it out there that I felt strong enough we could have made the Final Four. That’s how confident I feel like we were. When the season got cut short, I was just in my dorm room, really numb. I didn’t know how to feel because I’ve never experienced anything like that. If they tell you that you can’t play anymore, it’s usually because you lost — that’s it. But they just said, ‘Listen, shut everything down, you can’t play anymore.’ It was definitely a numbing experience. I guess being appreciative of everything we accomplished, I kind of coped with it, and I guess moving forward now to the draft and things like that.
That’s a great way to look at it. You guys had a top-20 offense and top-20 defense in all of college basketball. You are also an offensive- and defensive-minded player. Can you describe the role you played for your team on both ends of the floor?
NH: I set the tone… I had to play hard so my energy was contagious. Everything offensive — offensive glass, making sure that we go to the glass and the boards. Overall, I think my energy. You put me out there and I play. My effort, my intensity led the team. Everybody’s level raised when I raised; if I didn’t play well, so did the team. I was expected to be on my best every single day and lead the team. Not always with words, but with my actions.
You were also part of a really incredible perimeter defense. Teams struggled to score the three against you, and opponents basically never connected from deep when you were guarding them specifically. How did you become so efficient on that side of the ball, and what have you done to lock down your opponents?
NH: This has always been a strong suit of mine. That’s how I hung my hat being on the floor. Every situation I’ve been in, even high school, I had to set the tone defensively just to get noticed. Then, I can show you my offense again. It’s just a pride thing. I believe I have a lot of pride guarding, wanting to guard. Growing up playing at the YMCA, playing around friends, not going to get scored on because they are going to tell you about it. Having that pride, if somebody scores, you’ve got to take that to heart; you’ve got to take that personal. I do take that personally… Being recruited by a coach [Kelvin Sampson] that takes pride in us, in the culture of the program. Everywhere he’s been, his teams have bonded. Just going to Houston, being a good defensive player, being able to guard multiple positions going into Houston, then I get to Houston and I’m being held accountable for my defensive play every single day. My first year having Corey Davis and Galen Robinson, Armoni Brooks, those defensive stoppers, going against them in practice every single day, how they learn things, how they go and lock somebody up. Most of the time it’s the pride, and they take pride in defense just like I do. I learned from them to be held accountable, and this led to my own pride of trying to be a lockdown defender and want to have that matchup, wanting to have that smoke if you’re a guard.
Coach Sampson has an NBA background — somebody who has been around Big 12 championships, ACC championships. What was your biggest experience was playing under him?
NH: The biggest thing is just how to be a winner. He teaches his team and his players that you’ve got to compete and play hard. He took everything that I did and made me compete every single day versus just when the game starts. Competing in practice, competing in individual workouts, every single thing is a competition from the time you step on the court. Knowing that if I don’t show up and somebody else does that it’s next man up because the team is going to be so good. Having to learn how to be dependable, knowing that every single day you have a job to do — and it’s not about what you feel like, or it’s not about feelings, or anything like that. It’s just not personal, it’s just we want to win. The overall goal is to win, and winning, whatever cost it has, that’s it. Coach, he’s very demanding; he’s very intense… Now, all I want to do is win by any means necessary.
A lot of what the NBA comes down to is being a superstar in your role. One thing you can be a superstar in is your rebounding and your size at 6-foot-5, pulling down 8.7 rebounds a game is pretty insane. Explain how you were able to do that and how you’ve been able to become such an efficient rebounder, especially not being a 7-footer.
NH: Rebounding, doing the little things that somebody else is not going to do… Somebody’s got to rebound the ball. I may not be able to bring the ball up the court, so [rebounding is] my opportunity to show that I can dribble the ball and show that I’m not just a player that’s out there. I’m going to show you I can play. My playmaking ability is kicking off the rebound and pushing it and making the right reads in transition. So I have that want to have a rebound, and rebounding sets that tone, because you can make or miss shots. You can get scored on — there’s too many great players — but a rebound is a want. The ball goes up, it’s an opportunity. It’s an equal opportunity. Whoever wants it, go get it. Who’s going to go get that ball? That’s just my mentality with everything; if you want something, you have to go get it. So I want that ball, I need that ball so I’m gonna go get the ball.
You had an assist percentage that was over 20% in transition. How do you think you’ll play at a faster tempo with the shorter possession length in the NBA? Do you think that’s something you could actually thrive with, given your game?
NH: I think that it works to my advantage because if you slow it down a little bit you give people a chance to get set… If there’s 24 seconds on the shot clock, and everything’s at our pace, I believe I can drive because of my motor and because I play so hard… The way I can rebound and go and rebound and push the pace, and find shooters in the corner, maybe create for myself, or even just for the spacing… I think my motor, and the way I play, how hard I play fits right in with that fast pace.
What is your comfort in the pick and roll as a ballhandler? You have the skillsets of playing like a big with your rebounding, or playing on-ball too; that’s a secret skill for you too. How comfortable are you as a playmaker?
NH: I’m very comfortable. I played point guard for the majority of my life. It’s just sometimes, you play on teams, and you’ve got to sacrifice for the team. Coaches would sometimes put somebody else as point guard because I was a bigger guard at the time. You know how it is when you’re younger, they’re putting people who are shorter than you [in that role], but I’m very comfortable; it’s just the opportunity. I’m a hard worker, so whatever I work at, I get better. The more reps that I get, the more opportunities I get to be in these pick-and-rolls, then I know I’m going to thrive. I’m very comfortable. I work on pick-and-roll, it’s just when I got to Houston, I was very team-oriented. I tried to find my niche, find my way onto the court. I just wanted to go out there and play, and do whatever it took to be out on the floor, because I wanted to be a part of something special, to be a winner. At the next level, I’m going to have to be [in the] pick and roll. It’s nothing for me to come off of a ball screen and make the right read because of the spacing, and because the floor is not as compact… I think the pick-and-roll works more to my advantage.
Being a good rebounder and scoring on putbacks has created offense for you. How have you used to types of plays to make immediate opportunities for yourself?
NH: I’m the type of player who you don’t have to run a play for. That’s one of the things that I’ve been expressing; that I don’t have to have the ball in my hands to be successful. I don’t have to run a play to go out there, and hoop and help you get X-Y-Z, so that means I’m always trying to create for myself and rebound if I know the ball may not get swung to me. Or, the movement goes to get someone else going, they’re going to shoot the ball. So, let me go ahead and get the rebound; let me get myself going by getting the opportunity. Somebody’s going to miss at some important time of the game; so I get it back and create, that’s an easy bucket. That way, I can create momentum… Now you can open up so much more by the defense having to take account of me going to the glass and getting those easy buckets. Once I do get a chance to keep the ball flowing more, knock down a 3, then I can get the rebound, push it, maybe take it all the way up to midrange. Now the defense has the task of taking account of me just off of random offense, and not all from just a set play. You really can’t scout a player who goes off a random offense, but still is productive.
How would you describe what your role ideally would be at the next level, and what would be your best fitting in?
NH: I believe my best role would be 3-and-D. Being able to knock down the corner 3, or knock down the 3-ball, mostly the corner 3. I believe that I’m going to have to be expected to guard multiple positions; I believe I can guard one through four, and able to guard your best player, if need be. I want to… I have to just be able to be a defender, a reliable and dependable defender. Also, when the shot goes up on defense, being able to catch it off the glass, and push the break and be a secondary ballhandler and on the second unit, bringing the intensity to the game; bringing that dog, that fight… Bringing that extra energy into the game… I believe at the end of the day that I’m a winner. I’ve always been a winner. I still have the standards and expectations of myself to become a winner and to keep winning in whatever situation I’m in. I believe that’s going to translate well to the next level.
What are some of the ways that you’ve won in your life? Walk me through that background.
NH: Background? When I was in Little League, going all the way back to little league, does that count? I still count it. Little league winning, year after year after to year in high school. I didn’t win a state championship but the games that I won — conference, I didn’t even lose a game in my junior or senior year, in the conference, conference championship — things like that. I definitely learned once I got to college, winning and going to the Sweet 16, being conference champions back-to-back, that’s when I learned to win with other great players … I didn’t learn to win consistently until I got to college. Those two years, I learned how to win from Coach Sampson. It’s been a proven fact.
Were you a multi-sport athlete growing up?
NH: I was up until ninth grade. I played all of baseball, football, soccer, basketball, I ran track, too.
What do you think you’re best at? How do you think that it helped you?
NH: I think I was better at basketball, but something from all of the other sports. Baseball, learn how to be patient and not overly anxious. I first started out trying to hit home runs, everyone wants to hit home runs. Be patient, wait on the right things — that translates to basketball. Sometimes you’ve got to be simple. Football, I think I get my aggression, my intensity from football. Sometimes, I won’t say I wish I played football, but sometimes I love watching football, not as much as basketball, but I enjoy that intensity, what they bring to the table on the defensive side. And on soccer , my footwork. I think that my footwork, learning soccer, being able to run that long, long-distance because I was a wing in soccer, so running up and down, pole to pole — I think that helped me with my high motor. Running track, I didn’t run short distances, I went long distances — 800 (meters), 1,600 (meters), I ran those, that helped me with my high motor.
If we had a combine — it’s unclear if we will — what events do you do the best at? Whether it’s your vertical, your lane agility, whatever it might be.
NH: I think my lane agility with the shuttle. Lane agility I’d definitely do well. And maybe the three-quarter sprint. Those could be to my advantage. Most of them; every competitive drill, I’m very competitive. I want to win at all costs. You put us in those competitive drills, and those will work more to my advantage, as well.
Do you know your wingspan, or your standing reach or anything like that?
NH: I don’t know. I’m going to actually do it next week, to get those numbers, just to have them off the top of my head.
What are some of the things you’ve been doing without basketball? You mentioned reading — what are some books that you’ve been reading?
NH: I’ve read Relentless by Tim Grover; Michael Jordan’s trainer, I read that in the fall before the season last year. I’ve also read Hurricanes by Rick Ross. I read books like success stories; about having that triumph, that adversity, I see how they became who they became. That’s the story I’m writing. Being doubted in some ways, but also having support. When all is said and done, I want to be able to say, ‘Look, this is who I was.’ And ‘This is who I became,’ and ‘This is how it’s catapulted me to this position,’ where I am today and where I want to be in the future.
You mentioned Rick Ross. What are some of the other musicians you listen to the most?
NH: Musicians? I’m a big Dream Chaser [fan]. I listen to a lot of Meek Mill, and Lil Baby. J. Cole was nice, I definitely listen to North Carolina, always.
What do you like about Meek Mill?
NH: I just like that he’s a success story. He came from the nappy braids, way back when in Philly. He talks about how he had to overcome, and I’ve seen the growth… He tells you ‘Look, I had to chase my dreams. I took some wins and losses.’ Ultimately, he felt like, after he came back from jail, he ultimately got a championship because he felt like he overcame everything you could possibly put in front of him. I haven’t been through what he’s been through, but I feel the same thing applied to myself.
Big thing with Sixers fans — it’s the motto there for them. Any film or TV or anything like that you’ve been really liking lately?
NH: Honestly, I’ve been watching The Last Dance, that’s been tough. I’ve been watching that, I wish there was more. That whole 90s era was real tough. I love to watch The Last Dance. I watch sometimes some things on Netflix. I’m a big Martin fan, Jamie Foxx Show, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air — I’m all about that show.
What are some of your favorite things about “The Last Dance”?
NH: I think the greatness of Michael Jordan. You see it first-hand. Dude is a killer, he wants to win by any means necessary. It’s that intensity he brings to the table. His mindset is about winning 24/7 and getting better. He’s as good as Dennis Rodman at rebounding. He said, “Watch the ball come off of the rim.” Sometimes, I thought I was the only one who thought like that. When I see the ball come off the rim, I can read and engage like, if it goes that way, it’s going back the other way. I felt that Scottie Pippen and the whole team, how they did whatever it took to win as a unit and individually, to be better as a human. Just seeing those things, because you hear about all the stories about “Michael Jordan is the greatest, Michael Jordan is a bad boy,” and you have the debates and things like that but seeing it first hand, I’m like “Okay, I see…” I can see why people are getting so passionate saying “Michael Jordan this, Michael Jordan that,” I can see why.
Being an undersized rebounder, do you see any similarities between yourself and Dennis Rodman at all? You mentioned making a bit of a connection there too.
NH: Yeah, I definitely do. I feel like what he brought to that team, he was a part of the formula. Rebounding is a part of the formula, bringing that toughness is a part of a winning formula. Bringing that overall defensive toughness and presence is a part of that formula… Everybody needed to help. Everybody fit together, and were pieces of the puzzle that fit together, so I do feel like any team that I go on, I can be that puzzle, that toughness puzzle piece, because I can defend, I can bring that presence by doing whatever was necessary. And also when I’m doing that, I can bring more to the table in knowing that I can bring the 3-point shot. I can be an offensive scoring threat where they have to be accountable for me. I’m not sitting here saying I’m trying to be Batman; I have no problem being the Robin for the team, or being one of the guys on the bench, because I know that my hard work will get me to that point. But in my role when I come in the league, I have to pay my dues and paying my dues is gonna be rebounding, defending and knocking down that three — 3-and-D.
Where are you at with your jump shot right now in terms of where you feel most comfortable? You were pretty effective with it; you shot 38% — that’s definitely not nothing. What’s your take on your jump shot?
NH: My mid-range shot is actually my best shot… I had to learn to catch-and-shoot in college because in high school, I had the ball in my hands. When I got to college, I had to learn the shots I was going to get, learn the spacing, and then know that these were the shots I’m gonna get, so I had to be able to knock those shots down… I just know that my shot is my shot — the more reps I get, when I see the type of shots I’m going to get, I feel very confident that I’ll work on the shots that I’ll get. I’m going to work on what I need to work on and work on the shots I’m gonna take so in the game, I can be dependable.
It’s interesting that you said you needed to learn how to catch and shoot, because pretty much all of your 3-pointers were coming off of an assist. I think it worked, whatever you did to figure that out.
NH: That’s just reps. in the gym and watching a lot of film… Like I said, knowing the spacing and knowing what types of shots you’re gonna get, because you know the types of players on your team and knowing ‘Okay, the ball is gonna swing, they’re gonna make a move. Kick. Shot,’ Don’t be trying to congest the paint. Space in the corner, knowing ‘Okay, I know I’m gonna get the corner three the majority of the time,’ so let me work on the corner three. And even with the line moving back last year to this year, I still improved my 3-point shooting, drastically. That’s just putting time in the gum and general repetition and the right reps, not just getting a lot of shots. We’re getting a lot of repetition of the right reps.
You also shot 50% against top 50 teams. You had eight games against top 50 teams and you were 13-for-26 from three during those games. How is it that you were able to perform better against better defenses? How is that possible?
NH: Competition brings the best out in me. My competition just brings that dog out because playing against top teams, I love the competition. I want to beat those types of teams because I feel like I’m at their level, as well. It just brings out my overall swag, and overall confidence. I’m just going to game plan against those teams. I know that I’m right there with them. It’s not because they are ranked or whatever, higher or above me. I feel like competition brings out the best in me — I just want to win.
Another crazy thing is that you didn’t miss a shot when cutting to the basket or on-screen cuts all last season, you were perfect from the field on those opportunities. How are you able to make those reads to the flash cut to the basket so easily?
NH: I think it’s just having a feel with the defenses. If I see an opening, knowing how to play the game of basketball: pass, catch and shoot. If you set a screen. Most of the time, the screener gets open — you see how the Warriors play, you see how they set a lot of screens, and they get slips and they’re moving around, fast-paced setting screens — movement. Ball movement. You gotta have ball movement to keep the defense on their toes cus if you’re going to stand out there and play one-on-one basketball, they can just sit. But if you have movement, it just works.
What are some goals that you have for yourself moving forward? What are some things that you’d like to accomplish either on or off the court — or both?
NH: Off the court? Because I left school early, I do want to go back and get my education when the time is right, for my mother. My brother is a new pharmacist, so he has his doctorate. My dad has a doctorate, my mom has her Masters. So education is very key, so I do want to get that. I just want to give back to the community, and to be a community voice of Gastonia, because a lot of hoopers come out of Gastonia. I want to be at the head and front of that to make sure it creates that pipeline. On the court, I’ve got to be the best basketball version of myself that I can be, be one of the greatest rebounders of all-time, and be one of the greatest players of all-time. I know that’s a vague statement, everybody makes that statement, but I think that my hard work and my dedication to the game, my craft is very capable of it, but I also know there’s steps and there’s going to be a journey to do it. Whatever comes, I just want to be the best version of myself that I can be. Not to say I want to be the best ever, but I want to be the best version of myself that I can be, using the opportunity that I have and just running with it and be the ultimate winner. Be a winner, get NBA championships, All-Star appearances, all of that.
What are what are some ways that your family has helped motivate, inspire you? It sounds like you’ve got a pretty good support system there.
NH: Yeah, my dad is a pastor here in Gastonia. He’s very motivational for me because he tells me, to stay encouraged, stay encouraged in my faith. That has helped me a long way because some days — every day hasn’t been perfect. Even my journey on basketball, off the court, on the court hasn’t been perfect. My faith has encouraged me to go harder and stay with it and trust the process of every situation I’ve been in and everything has worked out for me. My mom’s a teacher, so she’s in the school system. She’s always made me work hard, telling me that, yes, I’m athletically gifted, but academically gifted, as well. She keeps me trying to make sure that I’m well-rounded, not just being a basketball player, but making sure that I’m well-rounded, and having high character, doing everything the right way. And both my parents they taught me just to do everything the right way and not be like everybody else and just be different and to thrive at whatever you do, and make sure you do it well and do it to the best of your ability. That’s all I can really ask for. I just appreciate the support that they give me, and they have my full support as well.
What degree do you think you’re going to get when you do get one eventually?
NH: My major is sports administration. We’ll see what happens. I do see myself having an AAU team, girls and boys. We’ll see what happens. I’m not thinking about in terms of coaching or managing or things like that. I’ve got to take care of my basketball first, and along the way, as I’m starting to get ideas, maybe eventually get into that field when I’m done playing.
Awesome. We really appreciate your time. You’ve got a bright future ahead of you, and you’ve got so much to look forward to. You’ve definitely impressed everyone. Best of luck to you.
NH: Thank you so much!
This interview with Nate Hinton was conducted by USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Bryan Kalbrosky.
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