With the NBA season getting under way today, former NBA player Todd Fuller, now the athletic director at United Faith Christian Academy in Charlotte, N.C., graciously agreed to share his thoughts on the NBA, overseas basketball and life in general through a question-and-answer session with me.
To give a little background, Fuller is an N.C. State alum who played in the NBA from 1996-2001 in stints with the Warriors, Jazz, Hornets and Heat. He also played several years overseas and now is very active in the Charlotte and surrounding communities. Over the years, he has been a recent visitor to the Grand Strand, and his sister used to teach in the Horry County Schools system.
Here we go:
Q | What do you see as the biggest difference in the NBA today versus when you were in the league?
A | I don't think there's as much size [now]. When I was playing, every night you had Shaq, Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing - guys like that [to go up against] almost every night. Every team had a monster like that. You've still got big guys - Yao Ming, Shaq's still playing, [Erik Dampier], [but] there's not as many. The size seems to be a little bit less of a factor. I don't know if that's just by design, going for quicker athletes, or because big monsters like those guys [aren't as plentiful anymore]. Night after night there was somebody 7 feet or taller ever night at the center position [when I played]. Gheorghe Muresan wasn't the best guy as far as talent, but when you're 7-5, you're 7-5 - [actually listed at 7-7!]. I remember when I was at Golden State, George Irvine was an assistant, I had just started as a rookie and he made the comment: "You've seen about half of the top 50 centers of all time" just in my first 20 games. There's still plenty of talent. But back then, every night was just non-stop.
Q | What was your favorite moment in the NBA?
A | Getting drafted was certainly a special moment. Draft night in 1996. During my playing days in the NBA, there were a lot of highlights that come to mind. Advancing in the the playoffs with the Jazz, getting to the Western Conference semifinals with them was one. We unfortunately didn't go as high as everybody thought we would go that year. But being in the playoffs was a memorable experience.
Q | What rule, if any, would you change in the NBA if you had the power to?
A | What got me most annoyed was when some of the officials would let the players call the game, literally. There's been times when I made a spin move, scored the basket and what seemed like five seconds later, the player guarding me would say 'that was a walk'. Usually your less-experienced ref would say "Whoa, it was a walk." It didn't happen all the time, but I just look back on moments like that and smile, calls like that. I can't think of any one rule that to me is just something that is unfathomable to have. I played overseas for six years and there's rules there that exist over there and not here. I've gotten used to so many rules. I could wake up tomorrow and somebody would tell me you could take three steps and not travel and I would probably believe them.
Q | What is some of the best basketball advice you have gotten, and who was it from?
A | For example, my college coach Les Robinson, now retired in Charleston, used to say there's a fine line in winning and losing in basketball. He stressed that even in 20-point wins, a team could win by 20 and it could be something the team or player isn't doing right that made the difference between winning and losing. My [Charlotte Christian High School coach], Bobby Jones, was very good at stressing the importance of investing, not money, but your time and effort as a basketball player. He always preached the power of investing. It was a little message, but it had big results. In basketball, success for me wasn't going to come overnight it's something you had to work at little by little.
Q | The regular referees will be there for the season opener after all. How big of a difference do you see that making?
A | I think I'm quite safe in saying that anybody who is a veteran [prefers the regular refs]. I would get quite frustrated in summer leagues. That's when they would do training. Unless you were a superstar who got all the calls it got annoying because you got referees who weren't as skilled. It's just like in your job: if you're new to it and haven''t done it really long, your chances of making mistakes are higher than if you had been doing it for long. [Having replacement refs during the regular season] could make for an interesting combination when the stakes re on the line.
Q | If you had to start a team with one player in the league, who would it be and why?
A | If I was a GM I believe in the talent and the person. I mean, naturally one would want to say LeBron or Kobe. Those guys are talent, I don't know much about there personal lives. I look at Tim Duncan as a solid guy - obviously a great player but also a solid human being. A good role model for kids. You wouldn't have to worry about him on or off the court. Dwight Howard too. I think he's only going to keep getting better and he seems to have a great attitude as well.
Q | What player do you watch and just look on in awe of?
A | I remember I watched Cleveland and Atlanta twice. I watched Cleveland [live] in Game 4 [of last year's playoffs]. I was amazed in how much LeBron just took over when I was down there. It was just unbelievable. What can you do if you're the opposition?
Q | What player do you enjoy watching the most for the littler things that the average fan may not notice?
A | Early in my career that was Hakeem Olajuwan, no questions asked. Today that person from my position is Tim Duncan. He's not very flashy, but he's very solid.
Q | Many players on the fringe of the NBA go overseas. I know you played overseas as well. What are the biggest pros and cons of going that route?
A | Some of the cons are you won't get paid as much in most cases. Don't get me wrong, it's still a blessing to play over there. The minimums in the NBA are quite a bit higher than the vast majority of what players get overseas. That pales in comparison to all the positives. It's experience, new culture and learning a new language. For me, I got to play a lot. I went to being a guy who was a major contributor, a guy the team had to rely on night in and night out. There's also so many intangibles money can't buy. Playing overseas brings those intangibles to the table. I would often be fortunate to live in a city or area where I a lot of Americans have to pay quite a bit of money just to go on vacation to. Melbourne or Barcelona, for example. Those are both dear to my heart.
Q | Other than being an athletic director, what other kind of projects are you involved in?
A | We'll start with the [Todd Fuller Math Competition], just did it last weekend. It is held on the campus of N.C. State. It's had my namesake on it since 2002. [The participants - high school students] take a test. The teams compete as a school, and individuals compete for scholarship money. I enjoy being involved with that. I'm also on the Airport Advisory Committee for Charlotte Douglas International Airport. I enjoy doing that. It's once a month where we have meetings pretty much. We advise and give policy to the Airport manager. And that's neat because it's politics and public service. The Airport here is the jewel to our city. Basically stems from my love for aviation. I wanted to serve and give back to the community. This is how I do it. I also do quite a bit of mathematics tutoring and private basketball instruction.
So, who does Todd like in the NBA this season?
His picks:
Eastern Conference finals: Boston over Orlando
Western Conference finals: Los Angeles Lakers over Denver Nuggets
Finals: Boston over Los Angeles Lakers
League MVP: LeBron James
Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard
Rookie of the Year: Stephen Curry
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