Interviews

Entering his freshman year at Duke, Cooper Flagg has been billed as the next big thing in college basketball, but he already proved that he has a bright future in the NBA with an impressive showing with the USA select team that practiced with Team USA this week in preparation for the Paris Olympics.

While sharing the floor with future Hall of Famers like LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, the 17-year-old Flagg was undaunted as he showcased his skills.

"I was just trying to learn. I was on the court just trying to take bits and pieces from the other players and see what they did, how they did it, how they executed certain things and coverages," Flagg told B/R in an exclusive interview. "I think it was just a really great experience for me and I'm blessed that I had the opportunity to just be on the court and compete and learn at the same time."

Duke commit Cooper Flagg has taken over USA Basketball scrimmage: hits a three and then finishes a tough putback pic.twitter.com/SB3Y4fDpYt

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 8, 2024

Flagg is the first college player to be invited to play with the select team since Marcus Smart and Doug McDermott in 2013. However, the major difference is that both those players were already well into their respective collegiate careers, while Flagg has yet to play a college game.

"It just shows that he belongs," Miami Heat veteran center Kevin Love told B/R of Flagg's performance with the select team. "... There's so many things that you can tell that he thinks the game, he understands the game, and I think that's where, just having all of his physical tools and being able to put all of that together, that's why the sky's the limit. That's why he's gonna be the No. 1 pick next year."

"That is a bad dude. He's a generational talent. ... Next year, America ... you're going to listen and see him every single night."

—@SethOnHoops on Duke freshman Cooper Flagg 🔥 pic.twitter.com/WdktmAx3z2

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 11, 2024

Flagg already has extensive experience on the international level after helping to lead Team USA to a gold medal in the 2022 FIBA Under-17 World Cup. He said that experience along with playing with the select team fueled his desire to represent the United States in the Olympics, possibly as soon as 2028.

"For sure, I think having won the gold medal in the Under-17 World Cup, that was probably one of the best experiences of my life, going overseas for the first time. Playing Spain in Spain in the gold-medal game, it was a very hostile crowd. It was just a great experience, so I'm looking forward to having that opportunity in the future, hopefully," he said.

For now, Flagg is focused on his final year before he reaches the professional level. After being named Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year, Flagg got to spend the past week in Los Angeles for a celebration along with the other POY winners from other sports.

"It's a very prestigious award, so I'm really blessed, it's a huge accomplishment," Flagg said. "And it's more than just an award, the players' program, being able to have this experience to come out to the ESPYs and meet the players from the other sports and form relationships, it's been a different type of experience and something that I think will really stick with me."

The week culminated with Flagg receiving the Gatorade Best Male Player of the Year award at the 2024 ESPYs on Thursday night.

Love, who won the award back in 2007, advised the youngster not to let his accomplishments make him look too far ahead, as his freshman year at Duke will be over before he knows it.

"It's easy to say, 'Try and simplify, and stay balanced, stay present,' but that's really the advice I would give," Love said. "... College, that one year went by so fast, you don't get a full year, you don't get 12 months there. ... It was a really special year that felt like it escaped me so fast, so just enjoy it with your teammates, enjoy it with the coaching staff, enjoy the college experience because it's fast-fleeting, it truly is."

Still, it's easy for Love to understand why fans are already imagining how good Flagg will be in the NBA, as the future Blue Devil is on the cusp of superstardom.

"He has such a bright future because he has the willingness to learn and the willingness to get better, not only as a playmaker and using his size and doing all that, but he's thinking the game within all of that. It's the game within the game," Love said. "... It's been impressive to watch the extended minutes and how he's moving on the floor and what he's seeing, but also in the highlights, it's not just one thing... it's a little bit of everything."

With the decorated career he's had in wrestling, John Cena cemented his status as a bona fide WWE Hall of Famer years ago. But his future on the silver screen was never as certain.

The 16-time world champion stepped away from the squared circle in 2015 to try his hand at acting and gradually transitioned into a part-time wrestling role in the process. Fast-forward over eight years later, and he's one of the most recognizable and successful wrestlers-turned-actors ever, second only to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

His latest project, Freelance, was released in theaters last Friday and sees him play the part of a former Special Forces operator named Mason Pettis, who is tasked with protecting a journalist caught in the middle of a military coup. Alison Brie, Juan Pablo Raba and Christian Slater are also among the star-studded cast.

Its release coincides with Cena's latest stint on SmackDown, which only came about as a result of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. His upcoming clash with Solo Sikoa at Saturday's Crown Jewel is expected to mark the end of his current run.

Speaking with Bleacher Report, Freelance director Pierre Morel, whose other work includes Taken and District 13, discussed what fans of Cena can expect from the film.

"It's an action comedy that takes place in the jungle for most of it, with fantastic actors," he said. "John Cena, who we all know and who I knew as that massive beast of a man with an amazing physique—he's hilarious. He's a comedian. He's a natural-born entertainer. Unlike most movies I've done before—dark, intense and emotional—this one is a fun ride."

Morel previously worked with Raba on Peppermint and thought he complemented Cena and Brie exceptionally well any time they shared the screen.

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Cena's Strengths as an Actor Explained

Cena has proved time and again that he's far from the one-dimensional, superhero-esque persona he portrayed on WWE television for so many years.

The 46-year-old has shown more range as an actor than he did during his time on top in wrestling and continues to turn heads with his performances, with Freelance being no exception.

"How professional he is and how his timing is perfect with his sense of humor," Morel said when asked what surprised him most about Cena. "I think it comes from his WWE years, but he has that sense of timing so things land exactly when they need to land. He has dry humor, and in real life, once we cut the camera and sometimes don't cut the cameras, he starts ad-libbing and improvising and he's just hilarious. He's a fun guy."

WWE fans have been exposed to the sillier side of Cena in recent years as he's taken himself a lot less seriously and isn't concerned with protecting his image. That much has been evident with some of his antics as of late on SmackDown, going so far as to simultaneously serve as the host of September's Payback pay-per-view as well as a backstage correspondent.

He also has a tendency to get serious when needed, whether that be in terms of trash-talking or taking it to another level in the ring against an archrival.

Morel recognized this trait of Cena's on the set of Freelance and believes it's one of the advantages wrestlers-turned-actors bring to the table. His ability to go outside his comfort zone was mainly why he was such a perfect fit for the role of Pettis.

"I think that's part of those few actors who come from the wrestling world: They have that capacity to somehow make fun of themselves," Morel said. "They give a little distance. They are what they're supposed to be: Macho, muscled-up-type guys. They know how to play with it, and John has that, too.

"He brought a lot of emotion to [Freelance]," he added. "[Mason is] that guy whose family life is completely ruined and he's unhappy, and then we transition into that funny, cynical guy, forced to do things he didn't want to do. Even with the slightest facial expressions, he can express so much. He brought so much. Combined with the other three, I think the magic works."

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The Pursuit of Purpose

Morel revealed that the shootout scene from the end of the movie was his favorite to film, with thousands of bullets being used for it. Cena's experience in The Marine, 12 Rounds, Peacemaker and the Fast & Furious franchise made him a natural in that setting.

The action was the only similarity Freelance shared to other projects the Frenchman has been attached to. The comedic flare adds an all-new element that he's excited to explore further following Freelance.

"I wanted to combine action with comedy because it's a genre we don't see much anymore," Morel said. "You don't shoot action for comedy the way you would shoot action for action. It's a different approach. You don't push the limits the same way. I learned a lot from doing action movies before and translating this into an action-driven thing, which is all about the comic relief in this situation."

The film's overarching theme of striving for something more meaningful makes it relatable for all audiences and even for Cena himself. Through wrestling and acting, he's discovered his true purpose and managed to excel in both.

Cena calls WWE home whenever he has the chance to return, but Hollywood has become a second home of his for the better part of the past decade. Fans are fortunate that he's willing to split his time between the two professions.

For as influential of a figure as he is and everything he's accomplished, Cena remains in pursuit of purpose much like Morel.

"Isn't that everyone's struggle for life? Finding your balance and your purpose and a happy balance between your professional life and your achievements and being happy with your friends and family?" the director said. "I think that's everybody's journey. Until you get to that level of wisdom, you're still trying. I'm still trying! But I'm getting there, hopefully."

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.

For as iconic of a career as he had inside of the squared circle, Shawn Michaels' work with WWE behind the scenes could prove to be more pivotal to his legacy than anything else.

The two-time WWE Hall of Famer is widely regarded as one of the best to have graced the squared circle. With countless championships and instant classics to his credit, it's a difficult claim to argue with.

Since retiring from the ring in 2010, though, Michaels has been fully focused on helping WWE build a strong foundation for its future through NXT and other avenues.

That alone makes the 57-year-old's present every bit as important as his storied past, and being an innovator has given him the ultimate advantage in that respect.

As a trailblazer for WWE's ladder and Iron Man matches, Michaels being the first Superstar to receive his very own NFT trading card thanks to the company's partnership with Candy Digital, WWE's digital trading card collectible partner, should come as no surprise.

"There's a whole new generation of WWE fans, because of the Network and the Peacock deal and now through NXT, who are growing up with the ability to still see Shawn Michaels," The Heartbreak Kid told B/R. "When something is new, original and relatively untested, that's the NFT trading card, and I'm the first guy. I'm the guy who grew up when there was no cable television yet. It's fascinating to me."

WWE's new line of trading card NFTs will closely mirror the trading cards of '80s and '90s fame and include a full body, silver statue of Michaels posing in the center of the ring accompanied by his entrance music, a 3D trading card NFT that will transition into a carousel of imagery featuring him throughout three different eras of his career, and more.

The winner of the auction for the exclusively-online 1:1 gold NFT will be Michaels' personal guest at an upcoming NXT event and have ringside seats, a backstage tour, a personal meet-and-greet and signed memorabilia.

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WWE NXT's Constant Change Fuels Michaels

It would have been easy for Michaels to ride off into the sunset following his historic swan song in the main event of WrestleMania 26 against The Undertaker, never to be involved with the business again.

Outside of the occasional appearance on WWE TV, he did manage to stay away for several years, at least until a role as a coach and eventually creative consultant in NXT came calling in 2016.

Since then, HBK has bestowed his brilliance upon everyone who has come through the brand. As someone who led WWE into its New Generation period in the mid-'90s and broke the mold for what a headliner should look like, he is as aware as anyone that being on the cusp of change in wrestling is paramount.

"I pride myself on being one of the guys who's been around for a long time but also understanding and appreciating the business evolving and changing and being a supporter of that," Michaels said. "Like with everything else, the athletes get so much better, whether it's in our industry or others, and continue to be innovative and push the envelope. WWE never shies away from making those different innovations and merging them with what it is we do."

In a short span of time, Michaels went from an important influence backstage to the sole proprietor of NXT's creative vision when Triple H underwent heart surgery a year ago.

It was heavily rumored at the time that Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard were essentially running the show heading into the brand's abrupt relaunch last September, but The Heartbreak Kid confirmed he's been in the driver's seat this entire time.

"When Hunter first left, it became all me, and certainly from a television standpoint," Michaels said. "Matt Bloom is the head coach and takes care of everything from the PC training standpoint, but when it came to NXT 2.0 television, that's something myself and my team took over creatively. I know a lot of people thought Vince and Bruce were doing that. I can promise you, they did not have the time to do NXT television. If it's good or if it's bad, that's on me.

"It's been a huge joy to run that show and work with these talents. Again, everyone was put in a real tough position, we all were, but that's where you learn to do things in WWE. That, to me, is a form of talent development, which is understanding that things can always change ... around here and you have to adjust to that. The show always goes on. It was trial by fire for a lot of us, but it's been an absolutely fantastic experience.”

Michaels feels that being a student of the game for over three decades perfectly prepared him for this opportunity, knowing that anything can change at the drop of a hat in WWE.

While it wasn't what he originally signed up for, he has thrived and survived in his newfound position of prominence and is fueled by the fun challenges each new day brings.

"As everyone knows, I came in just as a coach and then slowly moved into assisting in creative and things of that nature," Michaels said. "I was always the second guy right behind Hunter [Triple H]. I obviously never envisioned being the guy who had the final say on the show and what we do and don't do and the overall vision for what it is we're going to do and how we move forward."

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DX Founders Aim to Bridge Creative Gap between NXT and Main Roster

Michaels is a big believer in taking chances, even if they don't always pay off.

Then again, going outside of one's comfort zone is all part of the development process in pro wrestling. That strategy has cultivated quite a few promising prospects in NXT 2.0 over the last year and seen others not reach the heights originally expected of them.

When Vince McMahon was in charge of creative on the main roster, no matter how successful someone was in NXT, there was a fear among fans that they'd be toyed with upon arriving on Raw or SmackDown and have everything that got them over in the first place altered.

With Triple H now calling the shots since Vince McMahon's retirement on July 22, Michaels promises there will be much more synergy between the brands going forward to better secure the company's future.

"He and I have always thought about things the same," he said. "That's what we're hoping for. We want things to continue to progress and get better and evolve, but I think there will be a more natural transition. And look: We also understand it's our job down here to adjust to everything else. It's Raw and SmackDown that really forge the way for this company. We understand that.

"I like the fire drill aspect of this job. I know at times it's challenging, and I know people will get upset when we have abrupt changes and changes in direction and it can be nerve-wracking, but it's also incredibly exciting and challenging. I guess that's something I still enjoy. At 10:05 on Tuesday night, we're going to have ourselves a live show, and if it didn't go perfect, not to worry, we've got one the next week and that's a good problem to have."

Fans have already started to see signs of change on Raw and SmackDown since Triple H took the creative side of the shows, most notably the returns of former NXT stars Dakota Kai, Karrion Kross and Dexter Lumis.

Michaels worked closely alongside Kai and Iyo Sky (formerly Io Shirai) during their lengthy stays on the black-and-gold brand. He's extremely optimistic about not only what's in store for them on WWE's main stage but also what the coming years will look like for Raw and SmackDown with D-Generation X's two founding members now at the helm.

“Dakota Kai knows she's absolutely one of my favorites and clearly Iyo is one of the most talented ladies in the world," Michaels said. "I can just say this: We have very comparable lists. Hunter and I kind of share the same brain. We have a little list we think about every now and then, so I'm very excited for what he's done and for what he's going to do in the future, and we're looking forward to helping him every step of the way."

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WWE's Shawn Michaels NFT trading cards can be purchased starting August 15 at 1 p.m. ET through August 22 at 7 p.m. ET at candy.com/wwe.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.

A year ago, Mike Senatore just wanted to be in the Ardrey Kell High School talent show. He couldn't sing. He couldn't dance. He couldn't play an instrument. But none of this stopped his desire to participate.

The original idea was to chug a bottle of water before flipping it, but Mom quickly nixed that one. Instead, Senatore decided to set up "awkward tension" with music before flipping a bottle onto a table. He put together the music clip from Jorge Quintero's 300 Violin Orchestra and called it a night.

"A lot of it was just BS'ing," Senatore tells Bleacher Report. "I didn't have any real talent." 

In a flash, a video of the event exploded (now over 7.5 million views on YouTube) and it quickly had 20,000 retweets on Twitter, making Senatore an overnight sensation. The next day, his phone rang endlessly, and he talked to everyone from the New York Times to Teen Vogue. By the end of the week, Senatore appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, showing the comedian his bottle-flipping skill. His flight to New York was the first time he'd ever been on an airplane.

"Every single viral person is thinking the same thing when they're in that moment of viral fame," Senatore says. "People who make it to that tier, when they make it to a show, it's just like, 'How is this happening? Why am I in New York?'

"A whole year later, it doesn't make sense to me."

Senatore embraced his 15 minutes of fame, but the bottle-flipping craze continued through the year as one of 2016's biggest trends. Students around the country started flipping bottles in class, which led to teachers banning bottle flips. Bottle-flip iPhone apps were developed. Think pieces were written. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers even flipped bottles during a blowout win over the New York Knicks. And every time someone notable flips a bottle, Senatore hears about it from his friends.

"The first day that I went viral, it was like I saved the world or something. People I hadn't talked to in years are texting me," Senatore says. "A manager I had for two weeks at one of my jobs texted me. It was super surreal [to see] who comes out of nowhere because they think it's so freaking funny that this happened." 

Along with the fame, Senatore is proud the video led Deer Park, the bottled water brand he flipped, to donate $10,000 to the American Cancer Society, especially since he lost his father to cancer some years prior. Senatore says the donation day was the happiest day of his life, and soon he saw people around the world raising money through bottle flipping.

"That something so stupid that I did in my talent show could have such a great cause to it, in my eyes, that's the coolest thing I've ever seen," he says.

Even a year later, people around town know Senatore as the kid who flipped a bottle. And even if his national fame isn't what it was for those two weeks last May, the local fame remains.

"I work at a car wash, and it's funny because they all know me there from forever and they make fun of me," he says. "I've had the same manager for three years, and they call me water boy now. These kids are obsessed with me. They want to go to work meetings just to meet me. It's funny because kids look at me like I'm some hero, and I don't know how to react to it. In my eyes, I'm just a stupid college kid doing his own thing." 

Senatore acknowledges he probably won't ever create anything as widely seen as his bottle-flip video, but that doesn't stop him from reaching.

"I peaked. That's what people tell me," Senatore says. "I use it as motivation. It motivates me every day in a way. I don't want [the bottle flip] to be the best thing that ever happened to me. I can't expect to go on Stephen Colbert again, but maybe I could be on Stephen Colbert again."

Senatore says he wanted to be a politician before the video went viral, but the notoriety and the past election changed his mind. Now, after seeing the behind-the-scene machinations of the entertainment industry, he's found an interest in production and is an incoming sophomore studying business at the University of South Carolina. Regardless of what the future holds, Senatore understands that bottle flipping will always have a place in his story.

"[Bottle flipping]'s still a daily part of my life. Ten years from now, it'll still be big in my life," Senatore says.

"I think kids will still be doing it. Planking died out, but planking was also planking."

If you were to choose one member of the Oklahoma City Thunder to swat away a potential game-winner, it would be Serge Ibaka.

"He’s just one of those guys that has a knack for it," Kevin Durant said in praise of his longtime teammate. "Just like he can’t put the ball in the basket like me, I can’t block shots nowhere near as good as he can."

Nowadays, there's much more to Ibaka's game than just rim protection. On the other end of the floor, he's molded himself into one of the league's sharpest mid-range shooters and a legitimate threat from deep.

A career 37.3 percent three-point shooter, Ibaka knocked down 38 percent of his long-range looks through his first 32 games. But with Durant and Russell Westbrook back and healthy, his attempts from beyond the arc have been sliced in half, from 3.2 in 2014-15 to 1.6 in 2015-16.

"Looking at the stats last year, he probably was three-point heavy and didn’t really take a lot of twos," Thunder head coach Billy Donovan explained. "I think he’s maybe a little two-point heavy now. You’re always trying to find that balance. But his three-point shooting is always going to be predicated on people finding him, because he’s not coming down the break creating, and we’ve got to find him."

Still, Ibaka is far from a forgotten man in Oklahoma City. If the Thunder are going to compete for an NBA championship this season and hang with the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs, they'll need every bit of Ibaka's brilliance on both ends of the floor. A successful season may also improve their odds of retaining Durant via free agency this summer.

Bleacher Report caught up with OKC's third banana after the team's shootaround, prior to a 35-point pasting of the Los Angeles Lakers. The interview below has been edited for clarity and length.

Bleacher Report: What do you think of Kevin Durant's shot-blocking technique?

Serge Ibaka: He’s solid. I saw him block a couple shots. He’s solid. He’s long. He’s getting better and better every day on defense too.

B/R: When did shot blocking first become your thing?

SI: Since I got here in the league, since my first year in the league. Now the game has kind of changed. A lot of teams play small ball, with a small power forward now, play more outside. Seven years ago, when I got here in the league, my first year, bigs was really like...you’re not going to see really large, shooting bigs. Power forward, they were rolling in the paint, playing close to the basket, close to the paint, so that’s why I became that way. I could go help and still come back, so that’s where I got the mentality to block shots.

 

B/R: What’s your favorite type of block?

SI: I like the one like the fast break [when you can] can come from the back. That’s my favorite one.

B/R: I read recently that your thumbs-down block celebration means "no soup for you." Are you a Seinfeld fan?

After some prying, Serge Ibaka finally told me what the thumbs-down block celebration means: "No soup for you"

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 11, 2015

SI: Yeah, I like to watch. I’m a big fan of that.

 

B/R: What's your favorite episode?

SI: My favorite episode is, I think, the second episode ["The Stake Out"].

B/R: On the offensive end, you’ve become one of the better mid-range, pick-and-pop guys in the league. When did you start working on your shot in that capacity?

SI: I’ve been working on my shot since Day 1, when I got here. I was just working on my shot, waiting for my opportunity. I always believe in myself. I know I can shoot, but my first two years, I didn’t have an opportunity to do it because I was coming from the bench. I was a rookie. So I just keep working on my shot and believe in myself, knowing one day, when the opportunity is going to come, I’m going to be ready.

B/R: You're taking about half as many threes per game this year as you did last year. What’s been the difference for you?

SI: It’s just different because I’m not really for three now this year. Last year, I was so obsessed with shooting threes. This year, I feel like I’m just going to play basketball. Wherever the ball will catch me, if I’m in the triple line, I’m going to shoot. If I’m at the two-point line, I’m going to shoot. I’m still working on the triple line too.

Some games, we have a game where I have to stretch more. We have some plays where I have to be at the triple line for Kevin or Russell to attack the basket. That’s where I feel, if they pass me the ball, I’m going to shoot it. If not, really, I’m just playing basketball.

B/R: How does having Kevin and Russell back together change things for you specifically?

SI: Having both of them, the truth is I’m going to get less shots, but we’re going to get more wins. The most important thing is to win. I love to win. It’s always fun to play on a winning team. If we only have one of them, of course I’m going to get more touches in the offense. But sometimes, you’re going to have a hard time to win. It’s no fun to lose. I prefer to have both of them and taking less shots, having less touches in the offense and win the games.

B/R: Has there been a different feel to things with Billy Donovan as head coach?

SI: Yeah, we’ve got a new coach. Everything is still new. We’re still learning, still getting better. We’re getting better. We’re getting better. The last couple of days, the last three to four weeks, we’ve been getting better. We’re in a good way.

 

B/R: Growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo, at what point did you think basketball could be your way to a better life?

SI: Since I was like 10, 11.

B/R: And you just kept working at it?

SI: I always believed. It was like something in my heart, inside of me, telling me, “Don’t give up. Keep working. Keep believing. Keep pushing.” Something was telling me, “Don’t give up.” When it’s your way, if God has some plan for you, He said that’s your destiny. It’s going to happen. I think that was my destiny. God had a plan for me. That’s why.

 

B/R: In watching Son of the Congo, you seemed to have a sense of desperation to bring that dream to life. Do you feel like you still have that sense of desperation?

SI: Yeah, I still have the same thing. I’m still pushing. I push, no matter what. I’m not comfortable yet. I always tell myself, "I’ll be done working when I’m done playing basketball." So I’m going to keep pushing, try to get better every day.

B/R: What’s it like for you to have so much quality competition (e.g. Steven Adams, Enes Kanter, Nick Collison, Mitch McGary) in the frontcourt?

SI: It’s good. It’s good competition because it pushes you to keep working. It pushes you to stay focused, knowing, hey man, you’ve got some good players out there too. If you relax or if you don’t do your job well, you can lose your spot. That’s a good way.

All of them are tough, man. Nick’s got experience. You’ve got Steven and Enes. You’ve got Mitch. We play hard. We go hard against each other because, like I said, it’s not a given spot out there, so we try to push each other to get better.

B/R: You come from a big family. You're one of 18 siblings, and your daughter is living with you in the U.S. now. What's it like, balancing all those relatives in your life?

SI: I’ve got my brother and sister in Oklahoma. They live in Oklahoma too. After the season, I’ll go back home to see my family. That’s how I do it. It’s fun, man. It’s fun. It’s fun. It’s always good to spend time with your family.

[My daughter] is doing great. She’s living here with me now. She’s here now. She’s living with me. She’s my best Christmas gift this year because this is our first time we’re going to spend Christmas together. I feel so thankful for that one.

All quotes were obtained firsthand.

Josh Martin covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.