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| Boykins |
Denver Nuggets guard Earl Boykins is the shortest player in the NBA at 5-5, and he says the fastest. Clearly, he's very thrifty, very quick and a man of simple tastes. He answered Dan Le Batard's 10 Questions during the April 6, 2003 ESPN The Magazine show, which airs Sundays 7-10 a.m. ET on ESPNRadio.
Earl TV
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| 'Earl, your choice of roommates is unacceptable. So my girlfriend Elin Nordegren will be subbing for Iron Mike.' |
Earl Boykins: I would have to say Scot Pollard, Mike Tyson and Tiger Woods.
DL: Not 'cause Tiger Woods is strange just cause you want to see how he interacts with two people that strange?
EB: I didn't say they were strange.
DL: Why would it be interesting viewing to see Tiger Woods in there?
EB: Three different personalities.
DL: A celebrity who annoys you so much you want to lock them in a room for eternity with an angry Ron Artest.
EB: Tom Arnold.
DL: What one thing would you change about the NBA?
EB: Travel. Definitely the travel.
'I don't do anything extraordinary'
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| Steady habits: Playing ball, eating fast food. |
EB: Surprisingly, I don't do anything extraordinary. I just play. I have a horrible diet. I eat McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's. I don't do anything extraordinary. I don't run on a treadmill or anything like that. I just play basketball.
DL: Wow, so you can just get by on natural physical gifts, then huh?
EB: I've been blessed. I'm only 5-5.
DL: True enough. I figured because you weren't blessed with 6-9 that you would have to do certain things out of the ordinary to compensate, no?
EB: No. Knowledge is king.
Acting lessons
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| 'Phil, this Boykins has good business sense. Send him a free Kazaam! video.' |
EB: Now that's a rough one, that's a hard one right there.
DL: Because you have a lot to choose from?
EB: No, not really because most of the athletes that are on television, I don't think I could do any better.
DL: How do you feel about Shaq's movie work?
EB: It makes money. He does it to make money. The purpose of making money is good.
DL: How about guest appearances. Wasn't Kobe on Mr. Cooper one time?
EB: I didn't see that one.
DL: How about anybody on Arli$$?
EB: Most of the guys on Arli$$ have one line so you can't judge them.
DL: Ray Allen was good in He Got Game. He was a legitimate actor. Can I do it the other way? How about the worst appearance by an actor as an athlete. Somebody who didn't look at all like a basketball player while trying to portray a basketball player.
EB: Who did The Michael Jordan Story?
DL: The Michael Jordan Story. Which one?
EB: I think it was on ABC. He was horrible. He couldn't play basketball at all.
DL: That's generally pretty bad. If you're doing the Michael Jordan Story, you've got to be pretty good, don't you?
EB: At least fake it.
Two tables are far too many
DL: Something you have too much of in your house.
EB: Furniture.
DL: You have too much furniture?
EB: Yeah. Definitely. I'm a simple guy. All I need to be happy is a refrigerator, house and a television and a bed. You only need one table. All that other stuff? I don't need all that.
Thrifty is a nicer term
DL: Someone other than God or any religious figure that you would give an entire paycheck to spend 24 hours with.
EB: No one. I don't like anyone that much.
DL: No one. No one in the history of time?
EB: No. I need my money to eat.
DL: You need your money to eat Wendy's?
EB: Yeah.
DL: You're Biggie-sizing it. Your meals cost like $4.98!
EB: I'm sorry. I'm not in awe of anyone that much to pay money to see anyone.
DL: Earl, are you cheap?
EB: Very.
Imposter
DL: You are 5-5 and 133 pounds. The funniest story you have that involves someone not believing you're an NBA player upon meeting you is blank.
EB: I had a reporter from the Associated Press actually when I was in college -- from USA Today -- they were doing a story on me and my team. I walk into my coach's office. Then when I walk in I introduce myself. And the guy says, 'No, no, you can't be Earl Boykins because Earl Boykins is much taller than you are.' So I just walk out and leave.
DL: That happens all the time to you, doesn't it?
EB: If people don't actually see me play and just hear about it, yes.
DL: The most confident player I've ever played against is blank.
EB: It's hard to say one. If it's 300 guys, most of the guys in the NBA believe they are the best ever. Even the ones who aren't good. So it's hard to say who's the most confident.
Picking Duncan
DL: If I had to choose between having Kobe, McGrady, Garnett or Tim Duncan, I'd take &
EB: (Quickly) Duncan.
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| Earl's pick |
EB: Tim Duncan. That's who I'd take.
DL: Somebody in any sport -- see you already know the answer to this because you're cheap -- I'd pay 10 times the admission price is blank.
EB: No one.
DL: I may be wrong, but a player in the NBA who I think doesn't do as much with his talent as he should is blank.
EB: Brian Skinner.
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| Skinner |
EB: He's a physical specimen.
DL: The one trait or quality that most prevents average NBA players from being all-stars is blank.
EB: Selfishness.
DL: The biggest difference between these Warriors and previous Warriors teams is blank.
EB: Confidence.
DL: The guy I have the toughest time defending is blank.
EB: Can't answer that. I don't want him to know.
DL: The guy who defends me best is blank.
EB: I don't want him to know, either.
DL: Outside of Golden State, the most underrated team NBA team is blank.
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| Don't take us lightly. |
DL: They're terrible, Earl.
EB: They're not as bad as people think. If you don't come to play, they'll beat you. You have to play hard in order to beat that team. You just can't show up. Some teams you can show up and win. That team, you have to play.
DL: Most overrated team.
EB: There aren't many overrated ones.
DL: The best compliment you've received from an NBA player is blank.
EB: Probably when guys compliment me on my willingness to just stay positive and be successful. My determination. When people compliment me on my determination in order to prove people wrong in the league.
DL: The television show that proves we're a nation of idiots in blank.
EB: Jackass.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas is the man
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| I'm No. 2! |
EB: Probably Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
DL: The guy in our league I most wish should just shut up is blank.
EB: I'm not in to telling people to just shut up. You say whatever you want to say, it won't bother me.
Boykins' All-Star aims
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| Jason Kidd earns this point. |
EB: Two.
DL: Number of inches, Earl Boykins, you would have to add to your body to make you a perennial All-Star.
EB: Zero.
DL: You could do it at 5-5?
EB: Yes.
DL: That's hard to do at 5-5. No 5-5 player ever has been a perennial All-Star.
EB: Somebody has to be the first.
DL: Percentage of NBA players who are satisfied by having made it and aren't really as hungry as they should be.
EB: 50.
DL: Number of NBA point guards better than Jason Kidd.
EB: That's difficult -- depends on what you want your point guard to do for your team. Some needs point guard to score. Others need him to distribute and play defense.
DL: So you're not answering my question?
EB: That is my answer. I can't give you a numerical number. What you want your point guard to do. That's hard.
DL: I want my point guard to be the best point guard in the NBA. I want him to distribute when I need him to distribute, I want him to score when I need him to score, I want him to be unselfish and I want him to lead my team. Who's the best point guard in the NBA?
EB: I'll give that to Jason Kidd.
