NBA stars share humbling moments

MANILA, Philippines - Visiting NBA stars Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets and Danny Green of the San Antonio Spurs said the other day they owe their success as basketball players to humbling moments.

Faried, 25, said he swears by the acronym HAT which means being humble, appreciative and thankful. His humbling moment came when he played alongside stars like Kyrie Irving, Steph Curry, James Harden, Derrick Rose and Anthony Davis on the US team that won the FIBA World Cup in Spain last year.

“I was HAT the whole way in Spain,” he said. “It’s very different playing for the US. When you’re with your NBA team, you’re probably the best or one of the best players. But when you’re with the US team, anyone can be the best player in any game. It was the first time I played for the US. When I was younger, I always wanted to play for the US, go out there and be one of the guys playing in the 16-under, 17-under and the senior team, doing it for the country. The experience in Spain was amazing. It was fun just to go out there with so much talent. It made the game come easy for all of us. Every game, we didn’t know who was going to be the breakout guy, who would be the best and we didn’t care who it was.”

 The right attitude propelled Faried to the World Cup Mythical Five with Irving, Pau Gasol, Nicolas Batum and Milos Teodosic. Faried led the US team in rebounding (7.8), field goal percentage (.633) and double-doubles (2).

As a 6-8 power forward, Faried has gained a reputation as a ferocious rebounder, earning the nickname Manimal. His secret is to play hard and not be afraid to make mistakes. “You give it your all, play hard and your spirit will overcome mistakes,” he said. “Growing up, I was excited to watch Dennis Rodman the Worm. He was a great rebounder like Charles Barkley who was also undersized as a dominant rebounder. Barkley may not be a role model but he was my role model, he played hard, no matter who was on the court. He was an MVP and he’s a Hall of Famer.”

Faried said the game is changing and players must adapt or else they’ll get left behind. “Big guys are stepping out to shoot, centers and power forwards alike,” he said. “It’s become perimeter orientated. Guards are posting up more than bigs now. The culture is changing. With the Nuggets, I’m excited to play for our new coach Michael Malone. He’s very different from our previous coaches (George Karl, Brian Shaw and Melvin Hunt). I know a lot about him. He’s passionate about basketball and so am I. I think we’ll feed off each other. You’ll see a lot of energy in every possession. If he yells at me, it’s because he loves the game that much. We’re going out to play Nuggets basketball.”

Green, 28, said it was always his dream to play in the NBA and never gave up on his goal even as the window was nearly shut. “I was cut by Cleveland and San Antonio,” he said. “I played in the D-League until I got a guaranteed contract with the Spurs. I couldn’t have done it without my family, my support group. I kept my confidence even during the dark days. When the lockout came, my agent thought playing in Slovenia would be a good situation. It was a humbling experience. Slovenia turned out to be a great place, clean, nice people. Then, I got back to the NBA.”

Like Faried, Green played four years of college basketball. “I thought of testing the waters in the draft after my third year at North Carolina,” he said. “But I decided to play my fourth year. No regrets. I wanted to get my degree in communications. If I had left to turn pro, I would’ve gone back to school for my degree. I think a degree is important for the future.”

Green, who shot 27 triples in the 2013 NBA Finals, said he doesn’t consider himself to be a pure shooter. “Some people think I am,” he said. “I just want to be the best player I can be. My basketball idol will always be Michael Jordan but I also admire Vince Carter. I don’t know if you’re born to be a good shooter. All I know is it takes practice to work on your touch, you need mental focus. My dad taught me how to shoot at an early age. It’s about working hard and doing repetition. At San Antonio, I relate closely with assistant coach Chip Engelland whom I know is a legend in the Philippines. That’s because we’re both shooters. Coach Chip knows the game and came from Duke which is our rival at North Carolina. I didn’t tell him I was coming to Manila. I’ll definitely talk to him about my visit when I get back.”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been a major influence in Green’s life. “He’s made a big impact on my life, on and off the court, in the way I relate with my family, making decisions in my career, even on financial matters,” said Green who recently signed a four-year $45 Million contract extension with the Spurs.

Before coming to Manila, Green said he was told it would be hot and dangerous. “It’s my first time in the Philippines,” he said. “I was told how much Filipinos love basketball. I’ve been to Taipei and Beijing but never to the Philippines. Now that I’ve come to visit, I don’t think it’s dangerous at all. It’s a great place to be, the people are warm and friendly. I’m glad I came over.”