Hornets guard Jarrett Jack chats

I recently spoke to New Orleans Hornets point guard Jarrett Jack at an event he and I both attended.

Jarrett and I had a great conversation, and I simply decided to record a portion of it for my blog.  I first met Jack while he was a star at Georgia Tech. I still remember him saying, "We came to Winston-Salem to beat up Wake, and now we're taking it to the house."

Take a look at some of the things we talked about during a recent interview.

Anthony: J-Jack. What's good. I'm just gonna ask you a few fun questions. Nothing crazy. We're just gonna have some fun. You with it?
Jarrett: Let's do it.

Anthony: How's the NBA been treating you, J.J.?
Jarrett: It's been nothing but a pleasure. I couldn't ask to be doing anything better. I worked so hard to get to this moment. I'm taking it all in, and enjoying every aspect of it.

Anthony: I'm looking around at all of these NBA stars. And, all of you are friends and hanging. Growing up it seemed like the best players didn't like each other. Did you ever think the NBA was going to be like this?

Jarrett: I don't think so. (Laughs.) But I think our friendship comes from having a mutual respect for everybody. When you get to know some of these guys off the court you'll see that they're pretty likable guys. That's how friendships start.

CP and Jarrett Jack have been friends since playing AAU.

Anthony: You and CP (Chris Paul) actually met during an AAU tournament when you like like 11 or 12 years old.
Jarrett: (Smiles.) It's kind of crazy how God brings people together. I was playing in a tournament when he was 11, and I was 12. He was watching me and I was watching him. His father even said that he came over and had a conversation with me at that particular time. I guess that was the a start to a good friendship.

Anthony: (Smiles.) How good were you back then?
Jarrett: (Smiles.) I was pretty good. That was basically why his father came and talked to me. He told me that I was going to be something special. Hopefully he was right. (Smiles.) I don't know.

Anthony: I hear that. What are you doing when you're not balling, J?
Jarrett: I actually like to go to the movies. I go to the movies by myself. It's kind of my way of getting away from everything. You know what I mean? That's pretty much all that I do.

Anthony: OK. Who was your favorite basketball player growing up?

Jack loves to watch movies.

Jarrett: I really didn't have a favorite player growing up. Everybody liked Jordan. (Smiles.) Everybody wanted to be like Mike. I just liked teams. I looked at teams and saw who was matched up against who.
Anthony: Give me your top 5 players in the NBA right now.
Jarrett: Top five right now. (Pause.) Kobe, LeBron, um.... I'd put Chris in there. He's my guy. Kevin Durant and D-Wade.
Anthony:  Cool.  Let's finish with free association. Point guard.
Jarrett: Myself.
Anthony: Georgia Tech.
Jarrett: Winning.
Anthony: Atlanta.
Jarrett: Black Hollywood.
Anthony: Chris Paul.

Jarrett: Good friend.
Anthony: The Joel. (Wake Forest home court)
Jarrett: A tough place to get a W.
Anthony: Toughest point guard to check in the NBA.
Jarrett: It used to be Baron Davis.
Anthony:  No doubt.
Jarrett: Right now it's probably Derrick Rose.

Past convo with Bob Johnson (founder of BET, former owner of Bobcats).

Former Charlotte Bobcats owner Bob Johnson with Maverick owner Mark Cuban.

Throwback interview with Bob Johnson (founder of BET, former owner of Bobcats). 

(Interview from March 23, 2004)

This was one of my favorite interviews of all-time. I talked to former Charlotte Bobcats majority owner for the first time in March of 2004. We talked right before the Bobcats were an official NBA team.

I still talk about this interview with some people today. I'm quick to point out that I know Bob Johnson. I didn't know him before doing this interview. I only admired him from a distance. We all know him as the founder and former CEO of BET. He also serves on the board of a number of businesses. Johnson has his hands in a number of things. He'll tell you that his life isn't that busy. And I'll continue to tell you and him differently. Busy or not, he's still the coolest guy in sports and business.

I've talked to Bob countless times since this interview. Yet, this is the conversation that I will probably remember forever.

Bob: Hey, Anthony. How are you?

Anthony: I'm doing good. How are you doing, Mr. Johnson?

Bob: I'm doing great.

Anthony: Is it OK if I call you Bob?

Bob: Sure.

Anthony: OK. So how's everything been going?

Bob: Things have been going great. Charlotte is a great city to live in. It's a great city to work in. And the town is a great sports town, obviously. The people have really embraced the new Charlotte Bobcats franchise, completely. I'm looking forward to the start of the season this fall.

Anthony: OK. Bob, how would you compare being the founder of BET (Black Entertainment Television) to being the owner of both the Charlotte Bobcat and Charlotte Sting (former WNBA team)?

Former Bobcat owner Bob Johnson.

Bob: There are a lot of parallels. You're in the entertainment business, in a way. Sports is very much entertainment. Just like at BET, you've got to deal with celebrities, stars and their managers, to some extent. And every night your players have to go and perform. Sports is also an emotional connection, just like drama. People cry when you lose and cheer when you win. There are a lot of parallels in terms of visibility as well.

Anthony:  Tell me how long you've wanted to own a sports franchise?
Bob: I've been looking into getting an NBA franchise, oh probably going back the last six or seven years. Again, it's a product that I understand. It was something that I thought I'd like to do once I left BET.

Anthony: You have a very busy life (Both smile.) Can you tell me what a day with Bob Johnson is like?
Bob: Well, Anthony. It's not as busy as you might think.
Anthony: Really?
Bob: No, I've got a lot of people who run the businesses that I've involved in. That leaves me with a lot of time to sort of strategically think of new business opportunities. It's more fun than it is work.
Anthony: Bob, tell me what some of your hobbies are.
Bob: I like to play tennis. I read books. I might learn how to play golf one day. (Both laugh.) I go out to dinner with friends, and that's about it.

Anthony: What sports did you play while you were coming up? 

Bob: I played a little bit of basketball and baseball. 

Anthony: Were you any good? 

Bob: Well, not good enough to go to college on scholarship.
Anthony: Which NBA team was your favorite to watch before you became an owner?
Bob: I used to watch the Chicago Bulls, just like everyone else. That's where Michael (Jordan) played, so everybody watched them. I also watched the Wizards when he played with them. I'm obviously fans of teams that are close to Philly. I like (Allen) Iverson. I also like C-Web (Chris Webber) because he used to play in D.C.

 

 

Anthony: Speaking of Michael, what happened with the partnership with you and M.J.?
Bob: Well, it wasn't a partnership. Michael and I have been good friends, going back 10 or 12 years. We've always talked about one of us owning a basketball team one day. He made his run at the Wizards and it didn't work out. Then I got the (Charlotte) franchise, and I started talking to him to see if he wanted to be a partner with this. He's like me and got the "ownership bug." So once you get that there's not much you can do except do your best to try to buy a team. And that's what Michael is doing. We talked about him coming with me, but at the end of the day he wanted to be an owner. As an owner I can understand that emotion. So one day he will be an owner. 

M.J. and Johnson sit courtside.

 

 

Anthony: (Smiles.) Let's switch this up a little bit. Tell me your favorite movie.
Bob: "Gladiators." 

Anthony: Who's your favorite entertainer?
Bob: Denzel Washington is a great buddy of mine. Of course, he's a great actor. Morgan Freeman is also one of the finest actors in the country.
Anthony: Do you have a any future plans do get into politics?
Bob: No.

Anthony: (Smiles.) OK. I'll leave that alone. Let's conclude with free association, where you simply tell me the first thing that comes to mind.
Bob: (Smiles.) OK.
Anthony: Earth, Wind and Fire.
Bob: Great band.
Anthony: Bill Cosby.
Bob: Funny.
Anthony: We're done. (Smiles.) Thanks for the time.
Bob: You bet.

Panthers' Smith catches questions

Carolina Panther star wideout plans to excite this season

Carolina Panther wide receiver Steve Smith always seems to be misunderstood. People that don’t know him think that he’s got a quick temper, while those that do know him understand his passion for the game. He also doesn’t get as much credit as he should for the way he plays on the field.


There’s a lot more to Steve than his ability on the field, though. He’s a genuinely good person. He serves as a mentor and friend to the boys of the Carolina Panthers Courage House. He visits often to play basketball, video games and assist with homework. He also buys all the guys at the Courage House season tickets every year. That’s only a sample of what Steve is all about.

I wanted to see what he was up as training camp was approaching. Take a look at what one of my favorite football players and I talked about recently.

Anthony: What’s going on, Steve?
Steve: Nothing much.

Anthony: As you know, I thought you did your thing this past season. Give me your thoughts on the past football season.

Steve: Oh yeah, it was real nice. The team did a great job of rallying around Cam (Newton). We accomplished some of the goals that we set at the beginning of the year. But, we still wanted to end the season stronger. We definitely think some things will work out better this season.

Smith chats with D'Angelo Williams and Cam Newton.

Anthony: No doubt. I feel good about Cam. What type of things do you like to do when you’re not running routes, catching balls or doing something related to football?
Steve: You know, play video games, interact with my children, barbecuing and things like that.
Anthony: Oh yeah?
Steve: Yeah.

Anthony: What kind of games do you like to play?
Steve: I’m into the snow boarding games.
Anthony: You like snow boarding?
Steve: (Laughs.) Yeah.
Anthony: OK. How often do you get back to California? (Steve’s home state.)
Steve: I go every May. (Both laugh.) I make sure I go when it’s sunshine over there.

Anthony: (Smiles.) How does a California guy end up going to college in Utah?
Steve: I didn’t want to go somewhere too far from home. But, I wanted a free trip to somewhere different. I always told myself that I wanted to go somewhere for free, that I wouldn’t ever visit. I liked the atmosphere. And, I was from California and had never seen snow. (Both laugh.) There were a lot of things that I liked about the school. Plus, they pass the ball a lot, so that helped me.

Steve Smith will actor Will Smith, during his visit to Charlotte.

Anthony: No doubt. How are you enjoying Charlotte?
Steve: It’s great. (Laughs.) I actually live in South Carolina. South Carolina is even better.
Anthony: When I watch you on the field, I’m always impressed by your ability.Do you think that you get enough respect?
Steve: Probably not. But respect is actually in the eye of the beholder. You don’t have to respect me, but corners know that when they line up against me it’s going to be a tough game. Just because nobody says a lot about me doesn’t mean that players don’t respect me. Teams run a different coverage from what we watched in their previous games.

Anthony: (Smiles.) OK. Is there a lot of trash talking that goes on during football games?
Steve: Yeah, sometimes. I did a lot of trash talking my first couple of years, but now I don’t. It exerts too much energy. I may say something to a guy to see where his head is.
Anthony: (Laughs.) Uh huh. I bet, dawg.

Steve: (Giggles.) A lot of times a guy is talking to me, and I just ignore him. (Both laugh.) And, that kind of irritates him. He can’t get me out of my game.
Anthony: Which defensive back would you say has played you the tightest?
Steve: I would have to say, “Champ.” Champ Bailey. He usually does a good job against me. 

Anthony: You began your career as one of the premier kick return guys in the league. Now you’ve obviously elevated your game as a receiver. Where are you in your career?
Steve: I’m kind of where I would like to be in my career. I am enjoying playing. I'm enjoying life. I’ve got my goals. I want to be a consistent pro bowl receiver and a hall of famer. But only time will tell.

Anthony: If you could play any other position, what would it be?
Steve: Honestly?

Anthony: (Smiles.) Of course
Steve: Punter or long snapper.
Anthony: (Laughs.) Come on now. Why?
Steve: They have long careers and don’t do anything. (Both laugh.) What they make in three checks, I probably make in eight or nine checks.
Anthony: What’s your favorite TV show?
Steve: “Law and Order.”

Anthony: I used to watch that all of the time. That used to be my show too, dawg. What’s your relationship like with coach Rivera?

Steve: (Laughs.) Uh, I’d say day to day.
Anthony: (Laughs.) Let’s conclude with free association. 

Steve: OK.

Anthony: The Temptations.
Steve: Good music.
Anthony: Rocky Balboa.
Steve: (Laughs.) Ugly.

Anthony: USC.
Steve: Shammed.
Anthony: Utah.
Steve: Up and coming.

Smith with his wife at a Bobcats game.

Anthony: Peyton Smith. (Steve’s son)
Steve: Future first rounder.
Anthony: The lovely Baylee. (Steve’s daughter.)
Steve: Staying at home until she’s 30. (Both laugh.)
Anthony: Well, we’re through dawg. I appreciate you taking the time to do this.
Steve: It's cool. You know that. I'll see you later, man.

Anthony: You already know.

Throwback Q&A with Hawk's Jeff Teague

As some of you know, I'm starting to compile some of my favorite Q&A interviews with sports stars for a book that I hope to finish within this year.

I was looking over some interviews this morning while discussing the topic with a friend. Former Wake Forest guard Jeff Teague, who's presently the starting point guard for the Atlanta Hawks was one of my favorite athletes to talk to.

 

He's got a very good game. And, he's the first Wake guard to really impress me since my main man Chris Paul. I caught up with Teague a couple weeks before he declared for the NBA Draft in 2009. Take a look at some of the things we talked about during a cool conversation.

Anthony: What's going on, Jeff?

Jeff: Nothing, really. Just been chilling. Getting ready to head to Indy for the Easter break. It's going to be good to see family and friends I haven't seen in a while.

Anthony: Let's talk a little basketball for a minute.

Jeff: All right.

Anthony: Characterize this past season for me.

Teague during his days at Wake Forest

Jeff: I mean, we did pretty good. We were ranked number one for a minute. We beat some good teams. We did some good things. We definitely finished better than a lot of people predicted. It was kind of disappointing to not advance in the Dance. But Cleveland State wanted it more than we did that night.

Anthony: That's an understatment. What happen to you all that night? Nevermind. (Both laugh.) I don't even want to go there. I talked to someone that played against you in high school. And, he said that you drive to the cup more now. Do you penetrate more than you did in high school?

Jeff: Uh, I penetrated a lot in high school. But I also shot a lot of threes because it was easier to get my shot off. I guess you can say I'm a better penetrater now.

Anthony: (Smiles.) Who are you picking to win it all?

Jeff: UNC.

Anthony: No doubt. What are you usually doing when you're not balling, bruh?

Jeff: Probably in the locker room playing video games with James (Johnson) and Gary. I love fighting games.

Anthony: Do you have a favorite show you like to watch?

Jeff: I still watch old re-runs of the Jamie Foxx Show during the late night.

Anthony: What was the last CD you bought or copied?

Jeff: Probably some Lil' Wayne CD.

Anthony: If you could play one-on-one with anyone who would it be?

Jeff: Probably LeBron. He's one of my favorite players to watch. I probably wouldn't win. He's beat me 11-3 or something like that. But it would be fun to play him.

Anthony: OK. Who wins between you and CP (Chris Paul)?

Jeff: It depends on how many dribbles we get because CP can shake you up a little bit. If we only get three dribbles then I think I could get him. We've played a little game called one-on-one-on-one. I won a couple. He won most of them. (Both laugh.)

Anthony: Are you coming back next year?

Jeff: (Smiles.) Yes. I think I'll be back next year. I'm pretty sure I'll play my junior year.  

Anthony: If you could trade places with anyone who would it be?

Jeff: Bill Gates. I need some money. He's got all the money.

Anthony: What kind of car would you like to have right now?

Jeff: A range rover. Chris' brother, C.J., got a hot range. I've wanted one ever since I saw his last year.

Anthony: What are the hottest sneakers right now?

Jeff: Probably the latest Jordan packages.

Anthony: What do you think about my kicks. (I'm showing off my exclusive Josh Howard Air Jordans).

Jeff: (Smiles.) Oh, those are hot. Real hot. I like those.

Anthony: No doubt. Let's finish up with free association. Uh, Wake Forest basketball.

Jeff: Great program.

Anthony: Jeff Teague.

Jeff: Student-athlete.

Anthony: Josh Howard. (Utah Jazz forward.)

Jeff: One of the greatest.

Anthony: Best guard in the ACC.

Jeff: Tyrese Rice. (Boston College)

Anthony: We'll stop right there, bruh. I'll catch up with you later homie.

Panther's DeAngelo Williams chats with ya boy

I may not have met a cooler pro football player than Carolina Panther running back DeAngelo Williams. He and I met during his first year with the Panthers.

Williams was drafted 27th (first round) by the Carolina Panthers in the 2006 NFL Draft after a stellar career at the University of Memphis. I was at the press conference to welcome Williams a couple days when he was drafted. I instantly gravitated to the speedy running back. I think it was because how low key DeAngelo is most of the time. He's simply a funny and cool dude.

It seemed like just yesterday he and I were talking about how cool it was to be playing with and against guys he used to play with on video games and watch on television.

Take a look at some of the things DeAngelo and I discussed during a past interview.

Anthony: What's good, Dee?

DeAngelo: I'm doing all right, man. I'm hanging in there.

Anthony: (Smiles.) Let me ask you this. Has the league been everything you expected it to be?

DeAngelo: Yeah, it's all right. You remember...coming in, I thought it was going to be extremely fast, the guys were going to be extremely big. I overemphasized the characteristics of the NFL so it wouldn't be as bad as it would've been if I had underemphasized it. It's just about how fast you make your decisions. Plus, speed kills in this game. But you still have to know a lot about what's going on on the field. There's more to this league than being fast.

Anthony: I remember you were almost shocked during your first preseason game a few years ago. (Smiles.) I think it was against Buffalo.

DeAngelo: (Laughs.) Yeah. You still remember that?

Anthony: (Smiles.) No doubt.

DeAngelo: I wasn't ready for it. I was like, "Wow." I even had to pinch myself a couple time on the sidelines to make sure it was real. I mean, those were the guys that I used to watch on TV for years. After the game, you walk to the middle of the field and see some of those guys and you realize they're celebrities. But it's nothing now.

Anthony: (Smiles.) I feel you.

DeAngelo: I'm going to tell you what got me. The fact that there were so many guys willing to help me when I first got into the league. I thought things were a lot rougher in the league. Even my coaches at Memphis told me not to make many friends, and that everyone is competiting. But everyone wants to win.

Anthony: No doubt. Did you feel like you were better than Reggie Bush? I mean, it seemed like he was the big talk coming out of college -- for obvious reasons.

DeAngelo: It's not even that, man. We're in two different offenses and we both do our thing for our teams. The same about when we were in college. I don't compare myself to him. I'm sure he doesn't compare himself with me.

Anthony: How much have you enjoyed living in Charlotte?

DeAngelo: It's been all right. It's different, man. I don't go out much. I'm not a go-out-much person. I like to sit at home, or go bowling. Or, I'll watch a movie.

Anthony: We'll need to get you to come bowl during Chris Paul's celebrity bowling event for charity.

DeAngelo: (Smiles.) Yeah. I'd love to come get down.

Anthony: What do you listen to before games?

DeAngelo: It's strange,but I don't even listen to music.

Anthony: Whatever.

DeAngelo: Honestly. I don't. When I'm in the car I'm usually on the phone. I'll hear something on the radio and be like, "That's hot." My girl will probably download it to my iPod, but I will probably only listen to it two or three times a month.

Anthony: Why did you keep No. 34? I thought you would go back to your college number (20).

DeAngelo: I like 34. I wore that number in high school.

Anthony: Oh, OK. I didn't know that. What's your favorite television show?

DeAngelo: (Smiles.) I like the Boondocks and The Family Guy. I've even got the Boondocks box set.

Anthony: How much longer do you see yourself playing in the league?

DeAngelo: I honestly don't know, man. I'm still excited. I have a strong passion burning inside of me for this sport. I don't know anyone that can foreshadow my career. I don't take that many hits. I get tackled. There's a difference between getting tackled and getting hit. My running style helps me. I think that will further my career in the league.

Anthony: Do you have any nicknames?

DeAngelo: When I first got into the league DeShaun (Foster) called me Dark Wing, Bojangles, Razzle-Dazzle. He told me that I'm not Bo Jackson. He said that I'm Bojangles. (Both laugh.) You know I've got a little shake to my game. DeShaun used to call me anything, though.

Anthony: (Laughs.) I see. Let's finish with free association. Just tell me the first thing that comes to mind.

DeAngelo: OK.

Anthony: Wynne, Arkansas (DeAngelo's hometown).

DeAngelo: (Laughs.) Next question.

Anthony: (Smiles.) Memphis.

DeAngelo: Beautiful. I love it.

Anthony: DeAngelo Williams.

DeAngelo: A sight to see.

Anthony: Carolina Panthers.

DeAngelo: A team to be reckoned with.

Anthony: T.O. (Terrell Owens).

DeAngelo: A beast.

Anthony: Steve Smith.

DeAngelo: Ultimate game breaker.

Anthony: I agree. Well, we're done. I will see you later on this summer. Good luck to you this upcoming year.

DeAngelo: All right, bruh. Thanks.

"Throwback" Q&A with NBA star Chris Paul

Note: This was my first interview with NBA star Chris Paul. We've done numerous interviews and other things since then. But I thought I would post a real "throwback" interview after talking about it with a publisher recently. This is from Paul's senior year of high school. This was before the 2005-06 NBA Rookie of the Year and MVP runner-up honors. Take a look.

(From 2003) This was a copy of the first actual Q&A I did with NBA star Chris Paul. I caught up with CP3 moments after he put on another impressive show in an 84-47 victory over a NC high school rival, South Rowan  (Jan. 2003).

Anthony: What's going on Chris?

Chris: I'm all right. I'm just chillin'.

Anthony: Man, it looked like you simply exploded on those boys tonight. You must have been feeling it.

Chris: Well, South Rowan has always been a team in our conference that has played us real dirty by applying a lot of hard fouls. So, I was real pumped for this game.

Anthony: Speaking of hard fouls. I saw that guy come up under you before you "yoked" (dunked) on him. It looked as if you got a little mad and had a choice of words for him. What were you two jawing about?

Chris: I ain't say nothing. (Laughs.) It's just all in the game. I just want to win.

Anthony: What exactly did he do?

Chris: When I went up for the dunk he came up under and acted like he didn't do anything. I don't remember what I said. I don't even remember what he said. They were talking so much tonight.

Anthony: Man, it doesn't look like you even get tired out there. What kind of fuel are you running on?

Chris: You know what? I just wanna win so bad that I don't really get tired. That's just the emotions of basketball. This is what I do.

Anthony: Now, you scored 61 points on a team earlier this season. Is that the most you've ever scored in a single game.

Chris: Yeah. That was the most.

Anthony: What motivated you to score so many points?

Chris: My grandfather was murdered on Nov. 15. I signed to play with Wake on the 14th. My grandfather was my bestfriend and he was 61. After his funeral I felt like I was going to score those points for him. I had no idea I was actually going to score that many points though. Someone said something to me about it before the game. I just got on the court and started to do some things and then I felt like I could do it.

Check out CP while he was at Wake Forest.

Anthony: Wow. That was truly amazing. Let me ask you this, Chris. You're one of the premier players in high school basketball. What made you commit to Wake (Forest) so early?

Chris: I had offers from every team in the ACC and other teams that I liked. But, I knew where I wanted to play. I figured I wouldn't waste any other colleges time by recruiting me.

Anthony: You have a catalog of sick moves on the court. It looks like you've been watching a few "And 1 Mixtapes."

Chris: Yeah, I watch them. But, some of that stuff I wouldn't try in a game. I have full-court basketball court at my house and me and brother used to always play one on one everyday. I got most of those moves from him. He and my dad are definitely the reason I'm the player I am today. My dad used to make me and my brother put our right arms behind our backs so we would have to use our left hand to shoot.

Anthony: Let me ask you this: What are your interest outside of basketball? What are you going to pursue in college?

Chris: I'm going to Wake and I'm not really sure what I'm going to major in. I was thinking about computer science or something like that.

Anthony: Answer this for me. Which is better — a thunderous dunk or an embarrassing block?

Chris: Dunk. A "facial."

Anthony: What? But, you just started dunking this year.

Chris: True. I don't know. I guess I will say a good pass is the best feeling. (Both laugh.)

Anthony: Did you ever think about playing another sport? Or has basketball always been your main concentration?

Chris: I was the back-up quarterback for varsity my sophomore year. Everyone thought I was gonna drop basketball to play football.

Anthony: Really?

Chris: Yeah. I played football for 10 years.

Anthony: So what made you decide to play hoops?

Chris: (pause.). It was more fun to me. I started to think about which one I would rather do in college. So, I chose basketball.

Anthony: Let's switch this interview up a little bit. (Pause.) Did you have a favorite cartoon when you were growing up?

Chris: Woody Wood Pecker.

Anthony: (Both laugh.) Is there an athlete in which you've looked up to your entire life?

Chris: Oh yeah. Definitely, Michael Jordan. I used to watch him and see all the amazing things he's done throughout his career. So, I would say him.

Anthony: I'm sure that you have a lot more people claiming to be your friend now that you're getting all this media attention and praise. How rough is it having all kinds of strangers acting as if they know you?

Chris Paul is one of the top point guards in the NBA.

Chris: It's rough, but I know who the people are that were with me from the beginning. Family comes first for me.

Anthony: Let's jump into something I like to call "free association." I say one word and you tell me the first thing that comes to mind.

Chris: All right.

Anthony: Josh Howard.

Chris: Incredible defense.

Anthony: R.J. Reynolds Demons.

Chris: (Pause.) Rivalry.

Anthony: Favorite class.

Chris: Math.

Anthony: Dream date.

Chris: Halle Berry. (Both laugh.)

Anthony: Kobe Bryant.

Chris: One of my favorites.

Anthony: One final question. What do you see yourself doing 10 years from now?

Chris: 10 years from now, HOPEFULLY I'LL BE IN THE NBA. (That seemed to work out nicely)

Anthony: Good luck with that, Chris.

Chris: Thanks a lot man.

Just ramblin'

I haven't written a blog of any kind in quite a while. So I thought I would write one tonight since I had quite a few things on my mind. Might as well share some of it through my blog, right?

I'm not that happy with quite a few things in my life. I may walk around, flashing a smile or even moving with a sense of stability and confidence. But I'm really quite down, sometimes angry, sad, lonely and confused-- to name a few.

Just like a lot of you, I'm dealing with family issues that aren't quite joyful right now. I wish I could see my father more too. I'm angry that I haven't made more time for my dad. I mean, he, my younger brother and other immediate family I don't need to name are really all I have now. I've honestly been a lot different since I lost my mother back in 2010. Seems like last week. I'm not nearly as up beat. I don't do a lot of the things I used to do. I don't have a lot of the same motivations.

I'm not even doing the same career. I was once a great (so I've been told) sports writer/ editor. Now I do media relations at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as well as help people realize they should live healthier lives by exercising, eating right and signing memberships at a health club in Charlotte.

I also freelance during football season. That gives me a slight writing/ reporting fix. I honestly miss being a full-time sports writer. But I also honestly want to be happy doing something completely different. Hope I'm not boring you yet.

I always tell my girlfriend, Ashley, about how frustrated I am about how my life is right now. It's not bad now, but it's NOT nearly as good as I imagined it would be at this point. Part of that is because of the loss I've dealt with, the unfortunate path of my younger brother, unexpected career alterations and a collection of other bad decisions I've made throughout the last three or four years -- both personal and professional.

NOW, the focus has to be on making the next phase good... instead of dwelling on what could've, should've or might've been. Ya know?

Where do I even start? When should I start? Right now. Today.

Got to make more time for family. Have to focus on the NEXT PHASE, and have to start appreciating today. I always tell friends not to wait until the JUDGE THROWS THE BOOK AT YOU BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO READ. What I mean by that is make changes for the best today. Don't wait on unfortunate incidents to make you do what we all know should be getting done today.

Let's "READ," so to speak.