If you could be any animal, what would it be and why? “Gorilla. Why? I call myself ‘The Bully.’ Ever since I got in college, the fans themselves would call me ‘The Bully,’ and my teammates would call me ‘The Bully.’ I think I would be a gorilla, just a ferocious, big animal that can take on anything physical.”
What TV show are you currently into? “I like ‘Scandal.’ I like ‘13 Reasons Why.’ I like ‘How to Get Away With Murder,’ those kind of things. Not really into too much, right now, because of the season.”
Do you have any hidden talents? “A few. I can cut hair pretty good. I feel like if I worked at it as much as I did basketball, I definitely could be a professional barber. I played the drums when I was younger in church. My grandmother was the choir director. So, growing up, I was always in church, and I can play the drums real good. That skill has not left. I just haven’t used it in a while.”
If you could have dinner with any celebrity or athlete, who would it be? “Probably Kobe [Bryant]. I just would love to nitpick his brain and his mentality about the game, how he got through certain ups and downs. I would definitely love to nitpick his brain.”
Who is your personal hero and why? “My dad. He worked four jobs trying to provide for me and my brother. My dad works so hard to try to put me and my little brother in positions to be successful.”
Who makes you laugh the most on the team? “On the team? Probably Javon [Levi], because that’s my little guy. He’s just funny. He always has something funny to say. We give each other this look when stuff is funny, and it’s automatically hilarious to us.”
What is the best advice you’ve received recently? “Stay ready, because you never know. You have to stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready. If you’re ready already, you don’t have to get ready. But, if you’re not ready and the opportunity comes, you blow that whole opportunity. So stay ready, and you don’t have to get ready.”
Pizza or tacos? “Pizza, man, pizza. Yeah. I’d definitely be pizza.”
If a song played every time you walked into a room, what song would that be? “Yo Gotti, ‘81.’ [It’s about] how young guys just take advantage of the opportunity, and work hard every day, because life could just end one year. And, that’s the majority of what the song’s about.”
In your off time, what do you like to do? “Man, really nothing. Play with my dog, and lay in my bed. That’s it. If I’m not in here, I’m resting. That’s it.”
What are your personal feelings on how the team is doing? “I’m definitely excited. I’m definitely proud of our team, for sure. I’m nowhere near as happy as I want to be, because I know we still have a long season to go. So, I’m definitely not gonna be happy about one win. And, I’m not gonna get down about no loss. We’re definitely putting ourselves in a good position. We got two road wins, and I know road wins are serious, but we gotta take care of these two games at home. I’m happy, but I’m not happy. You won’t see me happy and jumping around till we get to that tournament.”
–Compiled by Gabriel Galvan
