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Shaquille
O'Neal: "When you are 60, hang out with 60-year-olds, not 20-year-olds.
That is all I got to say about Jerry Buss."
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HoopsHype.com Interviews Sasha
Vujacic: "L.A. is where I wanted to go"
Sasha Vujacic: It was something incredible. Really incredible. It was an unforgettable experience in my life. I was a little bit nervous, to tell you the truth. I knew I had the chance to go a little earlier... Maybe No. 20 or something like that. But it was still great. I couldn't possibly have ended in a better place. The Lakers are a really serious team. There was not a better place to start in the NBA. They are a great team, a championship team. Were you afraid that you might not be taken in the first round? SV: Not really. I already knew it before that the Lakers would take me if I was available. I thought I may have the possibility to go earlier, but to tell you the truth this is where I wanted to go. This is a great team. Has it been big news in Slovenia that you are a Laker or people just don't care? SV: I'm in Italy now and people in Slovenia are excited. Everybody is calling me and telling me how happy they are for me. Some people in the Slovenian National Team are not as excited. Well, some people there are happy for me, but others are not because the Lakers are going to be my priority. I like to play for the National Team. But you know, the club comes first. That's going to be my priority and they'll have to deal with it. If they are not happy, what can I do? And now what are your plans for the summer? SV: For now, my plan is to spend a lot of time with family and friends in the next few days. Then on July 5, I'm going to Los Angeles. We have the press conference in which we are introduced to the media and then on July 10 I will start to play for the Lakers in the summer league. When the summer league is over, I'm going back to Europe to work very hard on my game and make sure I'm totally ready for the NBA when the season begins. I'm going to work really hard to show them what I can do and to show them they made a good decision selecting me in the draft. This summer is not going to be about taking a rest. It's going to be about working very hard. What kind of contribution do you expect to make next season on the team? SV: I expect to make a contribution. But you know, they are team with a lot of Hall of Famers... I'm just going to try to learn as much as possible from them. I'm happy that I will get the chance to play with them. I'm going to try to prove that I'm ready for the NBA, mentally ready for that. I'm happy they believed in me and I will work hard to get a chance to play a role. Some months ago you told us you didn't want to go to the NBA to be on the bench. But the Lakers have Gary Payton playing the point, Kobe Bryant probably playing shooting guard... SV: I know, I know. I'm not expecting big playing time. I'm not stupid. They are great players. Incredible players. I may not have the chance to play a lot, but I'm going to learn a lot from them. So far, I've never had the chance to learn from anybody like that. OK, you can learn from coaches and stuff, but it's not the same. Being able to learn from those players is the maximum. I think that if I learn and work hard, I can get playing time and prove they were not wrong choosing me. I just can't wait for the league to start and prove that. What's your opinion about what is going on with the Lakers? SV: I don't know anything about that. I'm focused on preparing myself for the season. I just hope we take a step forward and we don't just play the Finals, but win next year. Rudy Tomjanovich is probably going to be your first coach in the NBA. What do you know about him? SV: I've heard he likes hard workers and that he is a great coach. I will work hard to show myself in the right way, to show what I can do when he is there. I'm just looking forward to go there and start the whole thing. Bostjan Nachbar played for him in Houston. Have you spoken with him or any other Slovenian player in the NBA about the league? SV: Actually I didn't speak with any of those players recently. But I spoke with Bostjan last year about the NBA and he told me it's totally different, much harder. I'm not expecting anything easy. But with hard work and the right approach, I think I can make it there. Final question, what's the first thing you plan to buy with the money of the NBA contract? SV: I don't care about those things. The main thing is playing basketball. I'm just worried about showing the Lakers who I am and having the chance to play up to my full potential. I don't think I got the chance to do that here. They didn't take the best out of me here. I feel like I was playing just at 60 percent. I didn't have that possibility here and I think I will have that possibility in the NBA. If I can do that, if I play well like I know, I think I can find a niche in the league. Jorge Sierra is the editor of HoopsHype.com Tell us what you think about this interview. E-mail us at HoopsHype@HoopsHype.com _____________________ |
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