With the NBA draft on the horizon, Duke freshman Justise Winslow took a shot at some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: What drives you?
A: The thing that drives me is wanting to be better than my peers. And then also, I don’t like to come in second. Or lose, I don’t want to lose, And so that’s the thing when I’m working out, trying to become the best player I can be so I’m never in a position where I’m gonna lose, or be second or finish third, or not win a championship. In a way, I hate losing more than I like winning, and so I’ll say that’s the thing that kinda motivates me.
Q: As a kid you used to cry after some losses, didn’t you?
A: Yeah. Probably one of my earliest basketball memories was third grade before I started playing AAU. My brother and I were on this YMCA team, and in the championship game somehow, the two teams tied and they let the game just end in a tie. And I just went to the locker room and … they gave us trophies and stuff, but I kinda just like put mine on the ground and went over to the corner and just started crying.
Q: Would you say you’re driven to be great?
A: Yeah. And even more than that, I think I’m driven to be the best. There’s a lot of good and great players in the NBA, but at the end of the day, there’s only a couple of those guys that they consider the best, or have that title as the best, and so, I want to be great, but then I also want to be the best player, you know, best player in the draft, best player 10 years from now.
Q: Your on-court mentality?
A: A killer, but in the right sense, you know, competitor. Kind of our saying at Duke was “Fight,” so a fighter. Someone that’s gonna compete and just be mentally tough and physically tough all the time.
Q: Do you play angry at times?
A: Sometimes.
Q: What prompts those times?
A: Sometimes it could be the way your team’s playing, or the opposing team’s playing. Maybe you get a hard foul or a cheap shot or your opponent’s talking trash or … it could just be as simple as maybe a bad call, or a fan calls you something or … anything. Or something small could carry over from outside of basketball.
Q: Do you play better when you play angry?
A: At times. You don’t want to be angry all the time ’cause then your body’s tense, and you’re not playing relaxed, but there’s certain times where it’s OK to play angry and it kinda elevates your game.
Q: Why do you like being a villain on the road?
A: I’ve always kind of enjoyed the road games more than the home games. Just going to hostile environments, back against the wall, everyone wants to see you lose, and so, for you to quiet the crowd with a play, or win in a tough environment, there’s nothing better than walking out of a gym and it being silent when everyone wanted to see you lose and was kinda hating on you.
Q: If you were an animal on the court, what kind of animal would you be?
A: I would be … a black panther.
Q: Why?
A: I feel like they’re kinda sneaky. They’re dark, you can’t really see ’em at night. They got the night vision. They just know when to attack the prey, they get the job done very quickly and smoothly. They just have those natural instincts to help ’em survive.
Q: So you talk trash?
A: Yes.
Q: Are you good?
A: I would like to think so.
Q: Do you initiate it, or do you respond?
A: Both.
Q: The funniest trash talk you’ve heard on the court? Or that you’ve delivered?
A: People tend to think it’s funny to make fun of my hair, but I think that it’s quite attractive and a good asset to have (smile).
Q: Your best trash-talk line?
A: The good thing about Duke is our fans, our Crazies, they do their homework, and so a lot of times they have the spread sheet with the trash-talking scouting report on guys, and I may happen to get it before a game. Or in warm-ups they might tell me, “This guy is so-and-so’s girlfriend,” or “he didn’t really do well in his math class.” I find out different things that really got under different guys’ skin.
Q: So you’re big on the psychological part of the game?
A: Of course. Gotta be. Gotta be able to know what gives you a mental advantage over your opponent because at this level, everyone can play, everyone’s talented, so a lot of it comes down to mentally out-willing your opponent.
Q: You’ve been compared with Jimmy Butler and DeMar DeRozan.
A: They’re good comparisons, but I always say I think I’m unique just in the way I do things. It’s satisfying to be compared to guys like that that are great players and you do similar things as them on the court, but at the same time, I just try to be myself and be the competitor that I am and not really try to be like anyone else.
Q: So what’s unique about Justise Winslow?
A: Kinda that just fierce, competitive nature. Just find different ways to impact the game. I think I score in a unique fashion, in the lane, drawing fouls, getting body contact. Ability to defend multiple positions, and really just create plays, make plays, whether it’s getting a loose ball, or getting my teammate with an assist, just different ways to impact the game.
Q: How come you like playing defense so much?
A: Probably ’cause at a young age that’s all I could do. Being the youngest in my family … when you’re 6, 7 years old, and playing against your 12-year-old brother, you’re most likely not gonna be able to score on him. But you can do everything in your power really to try to defend him whether it’s fouling or just figuring a way to prevent him from scoring, and so that’s something that I had to learn from a young age is I may not be able to score on my siblings but I can definitely do my best to play defense, and try to stop him from scoring, so that’s probably where that comes from.
Q: What area of your game do you need to improve?
A: Honestly, everything. My defense can improve, on the ball defense. But that comes from maybe getting laterally quicker, and that also can translate to my ball-handling skills, being able to move with the ball and handle the ball better. Honestly, everything — posting up, shooting. I’m a very versatile, well-rounded guy, and I never try to get complacent or focus in one skill more than the other, I try to do everything.
Q: Phil Jackson?
A: We had a great meeting. Eleven rings, the things he’s accomplished, the people he’s coached. It was great to just sit down and have an interview with him, and have them pick my brain but at the same time ask him questions about his success and how he got to where he is. I was very impressed with just everything he’s done and accomplished, and just the direction and the way he’s handling everything in New York.
Q: How long did you talk about the triangle offense?
A: A good amount. Watched some film on it, on the court in the workout did some stuff through the triangle. It was important I guess for them to see how I could understand it and play within it.
Q: Can you fit in that offense?
A: Of course. I feel like just with my game and everything I could do, I could fit in virtually any offense, any team, any players, any coach.
Q: How would you complement Carmelo Anthony?
A: Melo’s a great player — All-Star, Olympic gold medalist, pretty much has done everything other than win an NBA championship. He’s won at the collegiate level, and I think he wants now more than ever to win at the NBA level. I think playing alongside him would be a good thing. My ability to complement a lot of his skills and play off him. Really for him to get a chance to kinda mentor me, and help me learn as I’m going through my rookie year would be a great possibility.
Q: You met him recently at a Yankees-Orioles game. What did you talk about?
A: We didn’t talk about the Knicks, if any at all. It was more just the adjustments you’re gonna have to make, being a 19-, 20-year-old, being a rookie in the league, the off-the-court living, the social life, that sorta thing. A lot about just the transition from going to college to immediately these NBA teams want you to produce, and so how are you gonna handle that, and what effect you can have.
Q: Your impressions of him?
A: He’s a great guy. He was there with his son, Kiyan. I always enjoy seeing athletes away from the court, getting to see them — Carmelo specifically — just as a dad, as a father. And just getting away from basketball and getting to know ’em as people, is always something that’s interesting.
Q: He didn’t grab you around the shoulder and say, “PLEASE HELP ME?”
A: No, (smile) it was more me grabbing him around the shoulder saying, “Please help me.”
Q: Why should Phil Jackson draft you?
A: I can really help the organization go in a positive direction. I think I can be a leader on the team, and most importantly, somebody that comes in instantly and has an impact on the team defensively and offensively. I think I’m a guy can bring a winning mentality, a guy that’s always won, has a winning history, but just a guy that’s hard working, an easy learner, someone that can pick up on things really fast. But someone that’s gonna give it his all every night, and be himself, not do anything he’s capable of, and just play his game and represent the organization the right way in the media.
Q: New York City doesn’t scare you?
A: No, I embrace it. I embrace everything that New York City is about, everything from the marketing potential and … I embrace the traffic. I embrace the shopping, I embrace the different sports teams … I just embrace the New York air. I just embrace it all (smile).
Q: First time you stepped into the Garden?
A: It was a big-time game, Coach K’s 1,000th win, against St. John’s. And I just remember it’s just a different feeling you get, you can just kinda feel the tradition, the history of the Garden, the lights — it’s kinda dim everywhere but the court, the court’s pretty lit up. It’s kinda just the Mecca of basketball and so it was cool to get a chance to be there and play there.
Q: Has your impression of New York City changed since you’ve stayed here?
A: A lot of people … a lot of traffic … a lot of angry people because of traffic … but I enjoy it. It’s an adjustment, but for the most part, it’s easy to navigate the city ’cause of the grid and the street numbers. There’s always something to do. The parks are nice. Always something to do, which is a good thing, but can also be a bad thing.
Q: What athletes in other sports do you admire?
A: J.J. Watt; C.C. Sabathia — lefty, I’m left handed, so I can relate to him; Dr. J; Jerome Bettis; Keyshawn Johnson; Kellen Winslow when he was at Miami; Sean Taylor: Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, Frank Gore — unbelievable backfield they (Miami) had.
Q: Best game you’ve ever played at any level?
A: Probably freshman year (high school). It was my career high, 43 points. In the state championship game, close game, my brother hits the game-winning shot at the buzzer, so … it’s always fun to have a big game where you win, especially in a big stage. That one, or the Utah game this year (in the NCAA Tournament) when I was back home (Houston) in front of all my family, all my friends, that was a good, fun game.
Q: Coach K’s first home visit?
A: They came in with these suits and ties, and all professional, and sat on the couch, they had like a little iPad and we went through a slide show. But I remember my mom got ’em these cupcakes from Sprinkles, and he absolutely loved ’em. … He was only supposed to have one, but he like took the whole box back with him to Durham.
Q: So your mom ended up recruiting Coach K?
A: A little bit. Making sure he’d come back (smile)
Q: And he did come back?
A: Yeah, he came back.
Q: What makes him the great coach that he is?
A: For a guy to accomplish everything he’s accomplished, and be as successful as he is and coach the players he’s coached, and win all the games and travel the world and just be the type of leader and ambassador he is, but just the way he shows up and prepares every day like it’s his first day at Army. Still humble, still hungry, still just as focused, prepares just as well every day, and really just enjoys coming to work and still has that passion that he had in his first coaching days at Army it seems like.
Q: What has being coached by Coach K taught you?
A: It’s taught me a lot about life. He just really teaches you how to be a man on and off the court, how to handle yourself and be a professional.
Q: What is your fascination with Teddy Roosevelt?
A: (Laugh) I’m sort of a nerd, and my mom will make fun of me because sometimes rather than watching SportsCenter or cartoons or something, I’ll watch the History Channel. And so I watched this one thing on my man Teddy, and the teddy bear and all that stuff. He was kinda dope, just riding around a horse telling people what to do.
Q: Boyhood idols?
A: Vince Young; Jesse Owens.
Q: What kind of a burden was it being Ricky Winslow’s son growing up, and what is your relationship with him now?
A: As far as a burden, it wasn’t really anything harsh or anything negative, it was just trying to create your own name, a name for yourself, and kinda get out of the spotlight. That was part of the reason wanting to get out of the city and go to Duke, or go to a school a little bit away. It was difficult at times, get out of the spotlight, but I think as I’ve kinda branded myself on my own, that I’ve become not Ricky Winslow’s son but just Justise, Justise Winslow. To this day, we have a good relationship. I grew up with my mom, spent a lot more time with her, but my relationship with my dad is fine, coaching me in high school, traveling to some high-school tournaments and things like that, working out with him before school. It’s a very positive, functioning relationship.
Q: Best piece of basketball advice he ever gave you.
A: Just enjoy the process. Enjoy every moment, ’cause you never know when it could be taken away, or it’ll come to an end.
Q: Superstitions?
A: I have my routines that I don’t like to break.
Q: They are?
A: Possibly a shower routine, possibly a pregame routine (smile).
Q: Have you been to any museums while you’ve been in town?
A: MoMA, Whitney. Some modern contemporary art. It’s tight, It’s cool.
Q: Three dinner guests.
A: Jackie Robinson; James Brown; Marilyn Monroe.
Q: What would you ask Jackie Robinson?
A: Just like how he handled the adversity he faced, kinda his mentality every day waking up, what he was thinking, that sort of thing.
Q: What would you ask Marilyn Monroe?
A: If she’d go on a date with me.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: Friday Night Lights.
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Will Smith.
Q: Favorite actress?
A: Mila Kunis.
Q: Favorite entertainer not named Jay-Z?
A: Asap Rocky.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: PB & J. Or chicken and waffles.
Q: Over the course of a year, how many PB & Js do you think might eat?
A: Probably 365.
Q: Do you go with the grape jelly?
A: (Smile) If you really want to know … toast the bread, multigrain bread, PB & J, and then I add jalapeño hot peppers.
Q: Have you found a favorite NYC restaurant yet?
A: Miss Lilly’s; Catch; Carbone.