Transcript of Kenny Anderson Chat

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      Boston Celtics guard Kenny Anderson   
      CBS SportsLine
      Chat Transcript
      May 19, 1999  
            Anderson, a former All-Star, has shown that he can dazzle along with 
            the best point guards in the NBA. (Allsport) 


      Boston Celtics point guard Kenny Anderson was a little late in here, but 
      the NBA star chatted live with CBS SportsLine fans about the NBA Playoffs 
      and the Celtics on Wednesday, May 19 despite suffering through a plane 
      delay. 
      Anderson averaged 12.1 points and 5.7 assists with in 34 games this past 
      season, his lowest totals since his rookie season. It was Anderson's first 
      full season in Boston after having been traded from Toronto. He signed a 
      contract with Portland before the 96-97 season as a free agent. He 
      averaged team-highs of 17.5 points, 7.1 assists and 1.98 steals and 
      reclaiming his position among the NBA's premier point guards. Then after a 
      falloff in production the following season, he was traded by Portland to 
      Toronto, and then again five days later to the Celtics. 
      Anderson put in two splendid seasons at Georgia Tech, averaging better 
      than 20 points and earning All-America Second Team honors in 1990 and 
      1991. He declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft after his sophomore 
      season and was selected with the No. 2 pick in the 1991 draft by the New 
      Jersey Nets. He was then traded to the Hornets in the second half of the 
      1996-96 season. 
      Find out what Kenny had to say in the full transcript of his chat below. 



      Kenny Anderson: Good evening everyone, sorry I'm late, my plane got 
      delayed. Thank you for sticking around, I'm ready for your questions. 
      Question: Compare playing for Coach Calipari with the Nets and Coach 
      Pitino with the Celtics? 
      Kenny Anderson: I didn't get a chance to play for Calipari. Playing for 
      Pitino is great though, it's a perfect system for me. You have to be in 
      top shape to do that but it is exciting. 
      Question: Kenny, if you had a choice of any team to play on, who do you 
      think you could help the most? 
      Kenny Anderson: If I had a choice, probably New York because that is where 
      I was born and raised. 
      Question: What do you think was the main cause for the Celtics struggles 
      this season? 
      Kenny Anderson: I think our struggles were due to a young team and our 
      chemistry didn't mesh until the end of the season. The fact that it was a 
      short season didn't help either. We didn't really play well together until 
      about 20 games left in the season. We were just young was the main 
      problem. 
      Question: Rick Pitino has said your idea of great shape and his idea are 
      vastly different. Are there any things you'll do differently this 
      offseason to get his shape? 
      Kenny Anderson: Yes, I'm going to get a track coach this off-season. Every 
      year I lift weight and play pick up games, this season I'm going to lift 
      weights and work on my cardiovascular conditioning a lot more. 
      Question: Do you keep in touch with fellow Georgia Tech guards like 
      Stephon Marbury and Travis Best? 
      Kenny Anderson: I don't keep in touch with them, but we talk about Georgia 
      Tech with them when I run across them during the season. 
      Question: Who do you like going one-on-one against in the NBA? 
      Kenny Anderson: Everybody is tough in the NBA with all the talent, there's 
      not one particular player I would say I like going against. I just try to 
      be tough no matter who I play. 
      Question: Have you been helping to mentor Paul Pierce this season? He's 
      been impressive in his rookie season. 
      Kenny Anderson: I haven't helped him a lot, I'm more of a lead by example 
      guy. I have told him I am here if he ever has any questions about things 
      and help show him by example how to play. It was great to play with him - 
      he does so much for our team. 
      Question: How has the Boston media treated you since you have become a 
      Celtic? 
      Kenny Anderson: They have treated me pretty fair. My whole career the 
      media has treated me fair. I'm a thick skinned person and I know they have 
      to sell papers so they got a job to do and I respect that. 
      Question: Are you expected to be the the more mature, experienced leader 
      of the team? 
      Kenny Anderson: Yes, I think myself and Dana Barros are both looked at as 
      leaders on the team. We have the most experience so I think we have to 
      step up and do that. 
      Question: How good will Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce be in their primes? 

      Kenny Anderson: Oh wow, I think Pierce will be very tough, like a 
      Pippen-type of player. He is a great go-to guy in addition to Walker. 
      Those two will be real scary once they hit their prime. 
      Question: I respect that you give back so much, did I hear that you're 
      breaking ground on a new youth center? 
      Kenny Anderson: Oh yeah, I just started on the youth center. I am going 
      back to the community I grew up in and helping build a youth center, like 
      an after school-type program for every day of the week. Give the kids 
      somewhere to go where they can play, meet other kids, have a computer room 
      to play in chat rooms :-) Just give the kids a positive outlet to go to 
      and help stay away from bad situations and I think this will help them 
      grow into good people. 
      Question: Where will the youth center be, Boston or New York? 
      Kenny Anderson: It will be in New York which is where I grew up. 
      Question: Kenny, do you envision yourself playing for the Celtics the rest 
      of your career? 
      Kenny Anderson: I can't test the free-agent route, my contract is fairly 
      set on that point and I am looking forward to playing on a young team like 
      Boston and become a contender in the east. 
      Question: What do you like to do in your spare time? 
      Kenny Anderson: In my spare time, I like to watch movies, lots of 
      quiet-type things. I want to get back to fishing. I like to fish and I 
      like to read suspense and thriller-type books too. 
      Question: What has been the best individual moment you have had in the 
      NBA? 
      Kenny Anderson: Making it in the playoffs with New Jersey under Chuck Daly 
      was a highlight for me personally. 
      Question: What are your plans in the off-season? 
      Kenny Anderson: In the off-season, I plan on relaxing my hamstring a 
      little that I had problems with, and doing some workouts to get ready for 
      a full 82-game season. 
      Question: Who do you think is the best player in the NBA right now? 
      Kenny Anderson: I think Grant Hill is the best player right now. He does 
      everything. He can score, rebound, makes his teammates better and he's 
      very consistent. I think he is the best player. There is also a lot of 
      great talent in the league too though. 
      Question: Kenny, if you weren't playing basketball, what do you see your 
      self doing? 
      Kenny Anderson: I would probably be a writer or a journalist. I was good 
      in English and writing compositions and I would have probably done 
      something along those lines. 
      Question: Kenny, who do you think will win the championship this year? 
      Kenny Anderson: I'm really not sure, I would say Utah or Indiana right 
      now, but the Spurs are playing very well. 
      Question: Can you at least acknowledge how Pitino is perceived by the 
      players? As a Kentucky fan, I know he is a very very demanding person! 
      Kenny Anderson: We like Pitino. He is very demanding but he's a straight 
      shooter. He's going to tell you if your playing well or if your playing 
      bad. He's all about winning and we as players respect that. 
      Question: Kenny, any camps this summer? 
      Kenny Anderson: Yes, I usually go to speak at a few basketball camps 
      during the summer. 
      Question: Kenny, what do you think of Vitaly Potapenko, was a he a good 
      addition? 
      Kenny Anderson: Potapenko was a great addition. He was very good in the 
      low post and he's a very hard worker, which fits Pitino's mode. A little 
      undersized, but he's a great addition. 
      Question: How difficult is it to guard Allen Iverson? 
      Kenny Anderson: It's very difficult. As the shooting guard now he moves 
      off screens and everything, it puts a lot of pressure on the defense. He's 
      just a great all-round athlete. 
      Question: Kenny, do you think Boston could contend for the playoffs next 
      year? 
      Kenny Anderson: Oh yeah, we can contend for the playoffs next year. The 
      biggest thing will be keeping the team together which may not happen if we 
      don't make the playoffs next year. 
      Question: Kenny, do you think Karl Malone deserves MVP? 
      Kenny Anderson: I think the last few years Malone was up there with the 
      votes and he is capable of winning it this year. 
      Question: How is the team chemistry among the players on the Celtics? 
      Kenny Anderson: It got a lot better towards the end of the season. With 
      only 50 games, it was weird. Our chemistry came together too close to the 
      end of the year but we did look good at the end which is promising for 
      next year. 
      Question: Kenny, who's the toughest player to guard? 
      Kenny Anderson: Everybody is tough to guard in the NBA. Point guard is one 
      of the toughest positions to guard night in and night out. You just have 
      to be mentally tough to compete. 
      Question: Any player in this year's NBA Draft that you think will be a 
      future NBA superstar? 
      Kenny Anderson: I like Elton Brand from Duke, he looks good. I think Steve 
      Francis will be tough as well. He looks very confident. I think Richard 
      Hamilton will look good too, and Baron Davis as well. 
      Question: Kenny, what arena is your favorite in the NBA? 
      Kenny Anderson: The Forum in L.A. And the Spectrum in Philadelphia. I also 
      like playing at Madison Square Garden because it's close to home. 
      Question: Hey Kenny, what do you think about all the youngsters going to 
      the NBA early? 
      Kenny Anderson: I think if they have to do it financially to support their 
      families, I say go ahead. But they have to be careful to not only the game 
      but the lifestyle involved and not let it ruin them. At the same time they 
      need to understand the social difference involved with being in the NBA. 
      Question: Why did you absolutely refuse to play for the Toronto Raptors? 
      Kenny Anderson: I didn't want to go to Canada, that was basically it. I 
      don't want to take anything away from the Toronto organization, I just 
      didn't think it would be good for me the way the tax structure worked out. 

      Question: What do the Celtics need to be a championship contender? 
      Kenny Anderson: I think we just need another big guy in the middle, but I 
      like the way our team is now. Just add a big guy to help out in the middle 
      and we'll be fine. 
      Question: Who would you like to see the Celtics pick up this off-season? 
      Kenny Anderson: I'm not sure who's out there, but if we had to do 
      anything, I say get a center to help on the boards and in the paint. 
      Question: Kenny, who do you wish to play with in your career? 
      Kenny Anderson: I would like to play with Derrick Coleman again. Maybe 
      someone like Tim Duncan, a dominant big man in the middle. 
      Question: Which players do you most enjoy competing against in the NBA? 
      Kenny Anderson: Everybody. I just love playing basketball, putting on that 
      uniform and just playing in the NBA. It's an honor to me. 
      Question: Kenny, do you think Michael Jordan is the best player of 
      all-time? 
      Kenny Anderson: Yes, I think Jordan is the best ever. 
      Question: Kenny, who do you think will be the next Michael? 
      Kenny Anderson: I don't think there will ever be another Michael Jordan. 
      Question: Hello Kenny, where do you see the NBA headed in the future? 
      Kenny Anderson: I think the NBA will see more of a European-type of 
      schedule and teams in our play. Like maybe going to Europe and playing 
      four or five games. That's looking way ahead but maybe more of a World 
      League. 
      Kenny Anderson: I have to get going now everyone. Thank you for your 
      patience with my plane delays and sticking around to chat with me, I 
      really enjoyed it. Good night everyone. 



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