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And by seeing that as a young player, he was amazing. Seeing all of the things that a strong 6-4 and a half, 6-5 he wanted to call himself, power forward down there with that explosiveness, all of the backto-the-basket moves you can ask for, facing the basket, and then he got hurt. He had to, truly, and I've become very proud of him because he was able to change his game and still demand the respect, and still become the player in New York but differently as more of a fnesse player as opposed to a power player. That's how special he is because most people, their careers are over. They can't adjust to that type of a change in their game or how to be the same player, how to see that same fear in your opponent, and that same effect on the game, and he was able to do that averaging 18, 20 points in New York. But he did it a different way, mostly on the perimeter. He did some work down on the low (post), but mostly at the perimeter because his back wasn't where it was. When you see a guy that's able to do that, you're like "Whoa." It's no different from like watching the MJs from the early part of his career to the lat- tually if he had the right people around him on a consistent basis, seeing him get that proper information constantly in his corner, no telling what he would've been. I'm glad to see him still playing today. He's still smart enough and capable enough to still be a main factor on the foor. But he's nowhere near the guy he used to be. That comes with the age as well, injuries. I love him and his mom to death. He's got a great family and a great heart. He's still playing to this day, and I'm happy to see him out there doing what he truly loves doing. Dime: You had a lot of success in Charlotte. Were you surprised when they traded you? MB: Yeah. It was different times. Dell (Curry) and I were the last. We were the two originals. They had gotten rid of everybody else. Bob Bass was the general manager at the time behind all of that. He felt like that was better for the team and the city. Looking back, I didn't think so. I felt like I was going to be there… like any other player, you feel like you are going to be with the organization forever, especially when you was promised that. But you recognize this "I DON'T LIVE IN THE FUTURE. I'M IN THE DAY-TO-DAY BECAUSE TOMORROW IS NOT PROMISED." ter part of his career – fying in the air to settling down and posting up, taking advantage of those things. That's what Kobe's done, and that's the IQ level of the game of guys, and people don't specify enough how great these guys are, being able to take their game from here to there, but at the same time still stay on that same pedestal. Dime: And then you were with Vince Carter when he was at his absolute best. What was that like? MB: He was what he was called. He was Half-Man/Half-Amazing. Just before every game, he would walk over and touch over the box on the backboard trying to touch the top part. Playing with him and seeing the youthness and the spring that he had in his legs, the ability to keep getting better. I remember throwing him an alley-oop in a game that I thought was well out of his reach but he'd come out of nowhere, receive it and throw it down. Just the gracefulness and the humbleness that the kid had when he played, and he didn't realize how good he was and how good he could have been. If his body would've held up, if his knees would've held up, even- is a business and you can't dwell on that. I moved on to Golden State and then went on to Toronto, so I was grateful for the opportunity to come in contact with other communities. The Golden State Warrior community was unbelievable out in Oakland, working with their staff and their organization. Chris Cohan and his people were great to me. And then went over to Toronto with Mr. Tanenbaum and all of that crew. That's been a frst-class organization. To this day, I still do a lot of things for the Toronto Raptors. So you were able to come in contact and reach a lot of people that you probably wouldn't have if you would've stayed in one location. Dime: When Dave Cowens came on board in Charlotte, they started to slow the game down and run less. Was that a similar situation as Washington where there was a collision of two styles? MB: Yeah, it was a collision of two styles. I played for Dave Cowens when he came in before I got traded in '96-97. That was the most games they've won in franchise history. They've never won more than the 54 games we won that year, and that was on one leg I was hopping on. But Dave, he 47 felt like he wanted someone else at the position and they just didn't know how to be professional and go about it. But those things happen and you just move on. Yeah, you're right. They slowed the game down a little more. Dime: You made the playoffs a bunch of times throughout your career but only won one playoff series. Is that a regret for you? MB: Well, only winning the one series, it's always a little… you have guys that didn't make the playoffs at all. There have been guys that didn't have that experience, so I don't dwell on those things. I don't think about it. It was what it was. Back then, our team just wasn't good enough to prevail obviously. You just gotta look at it that way whatever the case may have been. But I had a great career. I take nothing away from it. I was just blessed and grateful for the opportunity to play 14 years in the NBA. Dime: How does it feel 10 years since you retired that there are still kids and people who love and remember your game, and still love to watch you play? MB: Well it's a great feeling. It's a great honor. I know and I see that I'm totally different from all of the athletes that have played from the standpoint of the size factor. That's always going to be there. It's always a given. They love the underdogs, and I've always been an underdog to the American people and that's something that resonates. And some of the other things that I did, doing the Space Jam movie and doing other TV stuff, it kind of keeps you out in a different light. The people out there remember that and they share that stuff with their kids. That generation will continue to go on, and that's something that makes you feel good, to be talked of in a good light and not something that's negative. When people feel that's something positive that they don't mind sharing with their kids and can possibly inspire them or give them something they can kinda take over and take ownership of their own, I'm all for that. That's something that I've always been appreciative of and been thankful of. Dime: What are your plans for the future? Anything you want to do in coaching? MB: I'm just loving life, man. Thank God that I'm here today and getting the chance to work with these kids. I'm not making any special plans beyond whatever happens with whatever comes in front of me. If I have an opportunity to make a decision or choice on that, then that's the case. I don't look ahead. I don't live in the future. I'm in the day-to-day because tomorrow is not promised. Too many people are dropping these days or getting themselves caught up. I just try to take care of myself and right now my call is coaching, and doing a lot of work with the NBA. I'm satisfed with that.