SLAM: What was the whole college experience like for you?GO: I loved it. Just being around the students and being able to go out and have fun with people of your age, your peers, who love to learn and go out and have fun with each other. Especially being at Ohio State, with so many people, you get to meet new people every day.KD: For me it was a big adjustment. Coming from a real small high school, there was a lot of people at Texas. But it was fun learning new things, seeing new people every day, so it was a great experience for me. I also went to all the home football games. I never went to a school with a football team before, so every chance I got to support the football team I went.SLAM: Do you think you could have played in the NBA straight out of high school?KD: I don?t even know, man. But I know right now I have a better chance of being an OK player in the NBA because I went to college. I?ve matured a lot. It was a blessing in disguise, really. A lot of people say, Man, they?re not letting those kids get that money. But it helped me out so much that I don?t even care.GO: No, I don?t think I was ready for it straight out of high school. Just gaining experience and being able to learn so much, especially the attention to detail in the college game. Being able to have this year playing against different competition that?s not high school guys, that helped me a lot.SLAM: Is it fair that you guys will always be compared to each other?KD: If we played one-on-one he?d probably take me, because he?s too big and strong for me. With Magic and Bird it was different, because they actually played against each other in college. With me and Greg, people have just been saying since high school that we were one and two. People talked about one more than the other, whatever. But Greg and I play two different positions. It?s not even the same thing at all.GO: When they compare us, hands down he?s going to win in a one-on-one game because that?s his game. I?m a big man?I go in the post and I dunk the ball and I rebound and block shots. His game is outside. When you compare us one-on-one he?s going to win, that?s unfair to me. You?ve got people who look at us as the best college players. I know he is, I don?t know if I?m up there yet.SLAM: Why should you be the first pick in the Draft?GO: Because I?m going to be a hard worker. I?m going to come in and I?m going to contribute. I?m going to play my game and I?m not going to try to take over and mess up the atmosphere. I?m going to be a good person, I?ll do my part, work hard and do what?s best for my team to win.KD: I think I have a winning mentality. Even though I?m young, I can bring leadership to an organization. I?m just cold-blooded. I really don?t care. Whoever?s in front of me, I?m going to do my best to destroy them. Younger people might back down sometimes, but I think I?m a tough player and I don?t back down from anything?I accept challenges. I know it?s going to be hard, but everything you have to face is hard. I?ll be young, and I?m sure people will write me off and say I?m too small or not ready, but I?ve been going through that my whole life.SLAM: Let?s say you just got drafted first overall. What will you tell that team?s fans?GO: I?m going to come in, I?m going to be a good person to the city and the organization. I?m going to work my hardest to try to make that team the best that it can possibly be.KD: Just like I told them at Texas: I?m going to be a hard worker, going to be an emotional player, a passionate player, and I?m just going to try my best to help the organization out. That?s all I can say.There?s plenty more in the mag, but there?s a few highlights. Just like Fox News, I didn?t do any editorializing in the story: It?s just straight reporting, to give you guys the chance to decide who you?d select first overall.That said, after being one of the few people in the world to spend significant one-on-one time with both dudes over the last few weeks, I think I know who I?d pick.I loved Greg Oden. During the photo shoot he rolled in and was all laughs and smiles, joking around. He told our photo editor that he?d always planned on being a dentist?until his hands grew too big. He reminded me a lot of Shaq, with that same sense of humor and playfulness. But unlike Shaq, Greg has an overwhelming modesty, always underplaying his ability and skills. Check that quote above about how he doesn?t even know if he was one of the best college players last year. I don?t know how much of that is an act and how much of that is really real, but I got the sense that he?s really like that.Kevin Durant was completely different. He came to our shoot with his Mom and he stayed pretty quiet throughout. I?m used to being around these young guys, but until his Mom mentioned it off-handedly, I forgot that Kevin is still just 18 years old. Still, he had an intensity and seriousness about him you don?t often see in 18 year olds.http://slamonline.com/online/2007/06/links-decision-2007/
Interesting Q&A. I really am liking both of these guys, both on and off the court. I feel both of them are very bright and their attitudes will help them really succeed in the NBA (along with the enormous talent both of them have).
It kinds of stupid how they made this kind of like a competition/controversy, everyone knows who will go first now, it's not really a question anymore, but regardless it's good to read a little about these guys....I got this SLAM last night in the mail, plan on reading it tomorrow.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BrewCityBuck @ Jun 15 2007, 06:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>It kinds of stupid</div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticBalla32 @ Jun 15 2007, 06:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'></div> Haha. SLAM Magazine is a complete joke.
How is it a joke? They give exposure to the players who don't normally get it in ESPN or Sports Illustrated and talk about what people care about. Have you even read the magazine extensively? Or have you just skimmed through it and looked at the pictures?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (playaofthegame @ Jun 15 2007, 07:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>How is it a joke? They give exposure to the players who don't normally get it in ESPN or Sports Illustrated and talk about what people care about. Have you even read the magazine extensively? Or have you just skimmed through it and looked at the pictures?</div> I've been a SLAM subscriber for 7 years. (The last 2 have been my moms fault for re-upping). ESPN and SI give exposure to athletes that have accomplished things, SLAM feels the need to promote teenagers in their magazine and hype them up and build many times impossible expectations. 25% of SLAM is great, 75% makes me puke.
