Talking with Daniel Gibson

I got a chance to talk to Daniel "Boobie" Gibson after shootaround today at the Rose Garden (little known fact: Lebron James, unlike almost every player in the NBA, doesn't talk to media after shootaround). Here's a bit of what he had to say.

Holdahl: Is there any extra motivation playing against LaMarcus Aldridge, your old college teammate?

Gibson: I wouldn’t say it’s motivation, but it’s going to be a lot of fun being on the same court with a former teammate. We’ve always competed against each other every time we play. I always want to beat him and he always wants to beat me, even when we play one-on-one. We’ve always been competitive and I know I want to end up with the upper hand and so does he.

Holdahl: What do the Cavs need to do to get a win at the Rose Garden?

Gibson: Portland has been playing great, playing as a team, shooting the ball well. I just think we have to, as a team, get to their shooters, contest, play well on the defensive end and continue to execute the way we have been on offense. If we continue to guard the three-point line and try to keep those guys out of the paint I think we’ll have a great chance of winning.

Holdahl: What do you view your role as coming off the bench?

Gibson: My role has been, you know, coach expects me to come into the game and bring a lot of energy, make shots at big times. It’s changed. Coach wants me to come in and score, play defense on the quicker guards, just be out there playing basketball. (Mike Brown) gives me the freedom to do pretty much whatever I want on the court, so it’s been a great transition for me.

A nice guy that Daniel. Case in point: While sitting on the sideline talking to Gibson, a ball careened off the rim, flying (unbeknownst to me) on a collision course for my head. Gibson was kind enough to reach out for the ball, saving me a Spalding square to the face. A few seats over, Lebron remarked to Daniel that he should have let the ball hit my head, noting that it would have been good for a laugh. Maybe for a fifth grader it would have been, but luckily for me and my face, Gibson is a bit more mature. Daniel might never be a "global icon" but at least he got a sense of decency.