Mr BioFile Interviews by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
STATUS: Indiana Pacers guard from 1987-2005. Five-time NBA All-Star considered one of the best shooters in NBA history, averaged 18.2 points per game.
HT: 6-7 WT: 202
DOB: August 24, 1965 IN: Riverside, CA
CHILDHOOD HEROES: Jamaal Wilkes, George Gervin.
NICKNAME: Hollywood, Thriller, Knicks Killer.
FAVORITE MOVIE: Some Kind of Wonderful. I love John Hughes films. It’s a great love story. (With) a great ending.
MUSICAL TASTES: Hip-hop, Michael Jackson, John Cougar Mellencamp – he’s a friend.
ALL-TIME FAVORITE TV SHOWS: Cosby, Wild Wild West.
HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Billiards, reading, tennis.
CHILDHOOD DREAM: I wanted to go to work with my dad (Saul) as a computer analyst for a community hospital.
FIRST JOB: Basketball referee for little kids when I was in high school.
FIRST CAR: Black Pontiac Trans-Am.
EARLY BASKETBALL MEMORY: The competitive games in my backyard with my family. Two-on-two’s with my brother Darrell and my sisters Tammy and Cheryl. We played a lot of games.
PRE-GAME FEELING: The key match-ups that I’m gonna have. Visualize, definitely. It’s very big in my game. Visualize certain scenarios on how I’m going to set myself up to help this team win. Being someone who wants the ball in the clutch, who wants the ball in crunch time.
FAVORITE ATHLETES TO WATCH: Reggie Miller. Michael Johnson. Jerry Rice. Michael Jordan. Pete Sampras – definitely. Total domination of his sport. I think he’s the best thing for tennis today. He doesn’t say a lot. He just goes out and takes care of business. Roy Jones. ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley. Tiger Woods. Cheryl Miller [laughs]. Jeanette Lee. Baseball.
GREATEST SPORTS MOMENT: I would say being drafted by the Pacers (’87, first round, 11th pick). Also the ’96 Olympics in Atlanta and getting to the NBA Finals (2000 vs LA Lakers).
PEOPLE MOST ADMIRED: My parents (Saul and Carrie).
TOUGHEST COMPETITORS: Michael Jordan, Joe Dumars.
FUNNIEST PLAYERS: Charles Oakley, Michael Jordan.
CLOSEST NBA FRIENDS: Mark Jackson, Vern Fleming, Sam Mitchell, Jack Haley.
INTERESTING FACT: I’m two different people on and off the court. I’ll do whatever it takes to win. That’s my demeanor. But things you see me doing on the court, I wouldn’t dream of doing off it. I do a lot of talking on the court. But off the court, I’m very quiet, very shy.
FUTURE AMBITION: I’d like to win an NBA Championship with Indiana. After basketball, I’ll try acting and sportscasting.
CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Earned over $100,000,000 in NBA contacts; scored eight points in 8.9 seconds vs Knicks in 1995 Eastern Conference Finals; NBA TNT analyst.
Artwork by LeRoy Neiman.
