<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">How does a player become a fan favorite? Part of it is the look. DeSagana Diop -- a crowd favorite and prime example --looks like an overgrown kid and his attempts at Moses Malone machismo belie his consistently playful demeanor. As much as the locals dig LeBron James, the Chosen One?s chiseled features and hardcourt dominance are a little bit difficult to relate to. Part of becoming a fan favorite is the style of play. Everyone loves flashy high-fliers like LBJ, Jeff McInnis and Drew Gooden. But fans want to root for an XXL banger like Tractor Traylor, a shot-blocker like DeSagana or an offensive anomaly like Dajuan Wagner. Then, there?s the complete fan favorite package, embodied in the 6-10 frame of Cavaliers rookie, Anderson Varejao. You could site the Sideshow Bob hairstyle, the Brazillian heritage or his surfer attitude. But a simpler answer lies in the numbers ? Monday night?s stat line vs. the Nets. Varejao played the entire fourth quarter against New Jersey and in his 12 minutes on the floor scored four points on 2-of-2 shooting, blocked two shots, grabbed three boards, had an assist and a steal, turned the ball over five times and earned four personal fouls. So whether Anderson?s boxscore is good or bad, you have to admit: the man gets involved. Another way to say it is that he simply wreaks havoc. Varejao is the Cavaliers? version of the Hanson Brothers from Slapshot. Varejao came over from the Magic in the Tony Battie-for-Drew Gooden trade and was the first player taken in the second round of the 2004 NBA Draft. The 23-year-old Brazilian played for FC Barcelona for the past three years and won the Spanish League championship in the last two seasons. The native of Vitoria, Espirito Santo in Brazil speaks very little English, but he still agreed to sit down with clevelandcavaliers.com for a little One-on-One-plus-One. The ?plus-One? is Cavaliers PR intern, Joel Green, who speaks Spanish. [Varejao actually speaks Portugese, but our PR interns are pretty quick on their feet.] If Anderson?s answers seem short, it?s because he genuinely attempted to answer every question in English. (Nothing against Joel.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How are you coming along as far as the language barrier? Anderson Varejao: English is not that difficult. I?ve been here 20 days. But in more time and more days I will get much better. In six months, it will be no problem. Have you been to the U.S. before and what did you know about Cleveland or the Cavaliers? AV: This is my third time in the United States. I was in the tournament, the World Championships in Indianapolis. And I was here for a while before this year?s Draft. I knew there were many Lakes and Cleveland was a cold city. I knew they missed the playoffs by one game. And I knew about LeBron James. Speaking of the cold, will you be able to handle weather? AV: In Barcelona, it was cold sometimes. Last year, it snowed two times. In last Friday?s exhibition in Capital, you knocked the ball off the rim. Are you getting used to the rules changes from the Euroleague to the NBA?AV: It?s different, you know. In Europe it?s OK to hit the ball. No problem. The defense. Less time on the shot clock. But I know the rules here. But I?m getting used to the NBA rules. What?s the difference between the international game and the NBA? AV: Here the game?s more physical. More up and down. In Europe, it's more playing for the system. More five on five. We play the zone. There's more outside shooting. Do you have a goal for your rookie season? AV: Practice and take the opportunity to improve. Most people have never seen you play. How would you describe your own game? AV: My game is playing hard on defense. Going up and down the court hustling. What do you miss about Brazil? AV: I miss my friends. My family. My country. The good beaches. Can you describe your hairstyle? AV: (laughing) I don?t know. It?s different. It?s just the way it grows.</div> SOURCE: http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/one_anderson_041020.html
