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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 Eric
Williams: "This is is the year for the East to knock out the West"
What’s the biggest asset that you add to this Celtic squad? Eric Williams: Overall toughness, offensively and defensively, but more spirit than anything. I’m coming to work every night and giving it per cent. I anchor the defense, we have two great scorers out there in Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker, and I can score whenever we need it also. I know it’s been a couple of years now, but how glad are you not to be playing in Denver anymore? EW: Those were my early years in the league. They had the players, but now they’re going in a new direction I guess. Think they’re purposely trying to tank the season in an effort to get LeBron James? EW: Well... I don't know… (laughs). Too much hype concerning him? EW: Yeah. But at the same time it’s the nature of the league, you know. That’s how you get people interested in the league and let them know what’s happening and who’s hot. How big was the win over the Nets last Wednesday ? EW: They were at the first place and that’s where we want to be. We were on our home court and we just wanted to get the win. How much stronger is the Eastern Conference this year? EW: Eastern Conference, they play hard. Not to say it's the worst conference now. But, it’s a grind. The Western Conference has mostly all the prolific and dominant players in the league like Tim Duncan and Shaq. But, at the same time, the East is grimier. You know what I mean, most teams don’t have players like Shaq, so all the guys have to come out and play their best game to get the win. That’s why the games are that much more grimier. Is this year the year for the East to knock out the West? EW: I think so, and I hope we are the ones doing all the knocking out. Surprised by the Lakers rough start? EW: No… Shaq gives you 51 [wins], they need him. Think Kobe gets more hype then Shaq? EW: That’s just the nature of the game. Kobe is more signature and flashier. Everyone wants a replica of Michael Jordan and everyone that’s doing it is in that type of position. It’s a glamour position. That’s what’s getting the ink right now. What pumps you up on the court? A big steal, a rebound...? EW: I try to work all around. I love the defensive end, though. Especially in key moments of the game. That’s my game. So it’s crunch time in the fourth quarter, you tell the coach "let me guard their leading scorer"? EW: Yeah. I don’t even have to say that, coach O’Brien already knows. The Celtics have had these uniforms for quite a while... Time for a change? EW: Money don’t change these colors, do they? They're green. We aren’t going to change that green, we gotta keep that. We have the most idols, so we have to keep this green and white. It’s that clean look. I don’t want to get all futuristic with it and get colorful and shit. Maybe if anything add a color as simple as this like black, that’s it. Maybe a Leprechaun on away jerseys? EW: (Laughs) If anything, then on the warm-ups. Yeah, on the back of the jersey. That’s it, that’s it. Any nicknames for you on the court? EW: They call me everything, man. Guerrilla, OC... Anything man. You played with Austin Croshere at Providence and Pitino tried recruiting him a couple years back. How’s he as a player? EW: AC is a gym rat, man. Always trying to improve his game. He plays hard. Definitely a blue collar worker? EW: Yeah, just like me. We’re both the same Eastern Conference type grimy player. What’s the difference between Rick Pitino and Jim O’Brien’s coaching styles? EW: I guess O’Brien is looser, and not controlling as opposed to “my philosophy, my philosophy, my philosophy”, like Pitino. More whatever we’re getting hot with is what we’ll ride with. That’s what it’s all about. You play D, you get back, you talk, then you play. You don’t do those things, then you don’t play. I mean that’s the way it’s supposed to be. You think that’s why Pitino maybe had more success in college with players that were more apt to take commands and say "yes sir, right away sir?" EW: Well, you can recruit All-Americans now. I mean, just imagine Walter McCarty, Delk, Walker, Mercer… Don’t forget Derek Anderson and more importantly Mark Pope. EW: Right... Well, most teams really only had one All-American and one notable. But Kentucky could have had nine in line, so how can you tell me they weren’t going to win no championship with that team? C’mon man. How you feel about the Celtics drafts? It seems like no one is sticking around lately. I mean, out of the three draft picks from last year two are already gone in Joe Johnson and Joe Forte. What’s up with that? EW: That’s just the makeup of the league. That’s the way the college game is, players are coming out early and unbalanced. The drafts are unbalanced. Players are coming out early and earlier, junior year, soph, fresh, and sometimes high school. When I was drafted, Joe Smith went number. 1, then there was also Kevin Garnett, Damon Stoudamire, Mike Finley, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Brent Barry, Theo Ratliff, etcetera... Only one that came out early back then was KG. Our draft was stacked, man. Now you have at least that one token high school player you never heard of and some foreign players composing the draft. EW: It’s thin right. All you know is that he’s played D3 high school ball somewhere. But I understand the foreign players are part of the game, that just increases the NBA’s market size. Makes it a bigger market and, hey, they have money too. Would you emphasize to high school kids to go to college for at least one year and check it out before they make their decision to go pro? EW: Yeah, man. Would you have gone straight to the pros if you could have done it all over again? EW: Different for me. I didn’t start playing hoop till the 12th grade. So, I wasn’t even thinking about the league and that yet. But, I’d never tell a young man not to turn down an opportunity like this. I’d never do that. It depends on the situation, but if you have a shot to make some money… It’s fifty-fifty. You get drafted in the first round you get a three-year run that’s guaranteed. But after that… Like Trajan Langdon, I mean where’s he now? Russia? EW: Yeah… True, right. But they’re paying over there in Russia too, man. Gotta roll with that. It’s fifty-fifty. That’s how it is. There are two ways you can go, up or down, hopefully you can stray somewhere in the middle like myself. I’ve found that niche. I’ve showed them I can average 19 points a game, while also playing some serious D, you know. [Note: Trajan Langdon is actually playing in Italy] Any big meals before the game, any traditions? EW: Just peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Any music or artist you listen to before the game? EW: Jimmy Hendrix. Just have to listen to him once, and he’ll stay in your head. Now, for the all-important question, PS2 or Xbox? EW: I really don’t play those games, man. But if I do, it's PS2. I’ve never played Xbox. NBA Live or NBA2k2? EW: NBA Live. EA Sports I think makes that. I play with my nephew in his dorm at his college. Anything you tell him, give him any wisdom about basketball? EW: Stay in school, man. Get a degree. Just go to college and be happy. Should players who play in the league a year or less after leaving college early like William Avery be allowed to go back to college and use their remaining eligibility? EW: Nah, this is it. They gotta work it out. Someone else’s turn now in college has their spot with their scholarship. Would be nice, though. If that was the case everyone would be trying it. Karl-Sven Bertelmann is a regular contributor to HoopsHype.com Tell us what you think about this interview. E-mail us at HoopsHype@HoopsHype.com _____________________ |
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