Post by ball4life on Dec 28, 2005 18:25:10 GMT -5
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Damon Jones has one of the most amusing personalities in the NBA. The 6-3, 185-pound shooting guard in a point guard's body is averaging 8.7 points per game, including 41.0% from three-point range. He's currently #1 in the NBA in made threes per 48 minutes. InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner met with Jones in New Jersey Tuesday for an exclusive interview. And after you read it, the answer to your question is yes: This is real.
InsideHoops.com: [Speaking into my recorder] This is the best player on the Cavs.
Damon Jones: [Laughs] The best shooter in the world.
InsideHoops.com: Hah, speaking of that, here's a poll question. Who is the best three-point shooter in the world: (A) Damon Jones, or (B) Someone else. There are no other choices.
Damon Jones: "A," Damon Jones, by far. One billion to one. And that one person might be Ray Allen.
InsideHoops.com: So he might someday, hope to be...
Damon Jones: No, he might think.
InsideHoops.com: OK, now let's say you shoot a three, and somehow it doesn't go in. Should the refs immediately stop the game and replace the basketball?
Damon Jones: No, they should blow the whistle, because when I miss I got fouled.
InsideHoops.com: And another thing...
Damon Jones: [Points to Donyell Marshall, who is 10 feet away] This guy right here, fifth on the planet.
InsideHoops.com: Fifth best three-point shooter on the planet?
Donyell Marshall: [Standing about 10 feet away, talking to Lenchiner] What did he say?
InsideHoops.com: [Talking to Marshall] He says you're the fifth best three-point shooter on the planet. He's number one.
Donyell Marshall: Who's two, three and four?
Damon Jones: Me, in my younger days.
InsideHoops.com: So you're number one now, and two, three and four is you at various younger stages in your life?
Damon Jones: Yes.
InsideHoops.com: And he's fifth.
Damon Jones: Yeah.
InsideHoops.com: Cool.
Damon Jones: Because now I have a green light to shoot whenever I want.
InsideHoops.com: Did you not have that before?
Damon Jones: No, I didn't. Coming up, being the road that I took to get to the point that I am now, team to team, various opportunities, now I have the ultimate green light. It's like, eye-bulging.
InsideHoops.com: It must be great. To actually be able to pull up and not have to hesitate, wondering if shooting is right.
Damon Jones: No reprimands...
[Interview now pauses because Donyell drags Damon away to show him something in the adjacent room... And now, the interview continues]
InsideHoops.com: [Speaking into my recorder so Damon can hear me] And, we're back with the best player in the history of sports.
Damon Jones: I'm the best show in tennis shoes.
InsideHoops.com: So you didn't quite have a full green light before? How about in Miami?
Damon Jones: I've had the ultimate green light the last two years. Last year was more fluorescent than this year. I take it upon myself to be assertive.
InsideHoops.com: So the green light was fully green last year.
Damon Jones: Right, green like it never went yellow nor red. It was always just glaring, like the bright lights of Hollywood.
InsideHoops.com: And now it's green, but not glaring quite as much.
Damon Jones: I mean it's glaring, and at times, in different situations it might turn to a greenish-yellow. But I deal with it.
InsideHoops.com: Now as for LeBron James, he's not too bad, and I don't think the Cavs plan to cut him anytime soon. He'll probably stick in the league. What's your take on how he jumped from last season to this season, being even greater than people thought he'd be?
Damon Jones: Awesome. His maturity over season to season, his improvement ever year has gotten better, and I think now he's tired of the constant criticism of saying that he's good but not good enough to make the playoffs or be successful as far as winning is concerned. I think he understands that, and what he's doing now is, he's not only creating things for himself but he's creating things for others. And that's been a key to why we've been successful thus far, is because we're focusing really hard on defense, and offensively we're sharing the basketball. And when you have the type of talent that we have, and you make everyone on the floor an option, teams have trouble guarding all five options, so it all starts with him. He's been very unselfish and I think his legend, it's only going to get better and better as we continue to win.
InsideHoops.com: [Speaking into my recorder] This is the best player on the Cavs.
Damon Jones: [Laughs] The best shooter in the world.
InsideHoops.com: Hah, speaking of that, here's a poll question. Who is the best three-point shooter in the world: (A) Damon Jones, or (B) Someone else. There are no other choices.
Damon Jones: "A," Damon Jones, by far. One billion to one. And that one person might be Ray Allen.
InsideHoops.com: So he might someday, hope to be...
Damon Jones: No, he might think.
InsideHoops.com: OK, now let's say you shoot a three, and somehow it doesn't go in. Should the refs immediately stop the game and replace the basketball?
Damon Jones: No, they should blow the whistle, because when I miss I got fouled.
InsideHoops.com: And another thing...
Damon Jones: [Points to Donyell Marshall, who is 10 feet away] This guy right here, fifth on the planet.
InsideHoops.com: Fifth best three-point shooter on the planet?
Donyell Marshall: [Standing about 10 feet away, talking to Lenchiner] What did he say?
InsideHoops.com: [Talking to Marshall] He says you're the fifth best three-point shooter on the planet. He's number one.
Donyell Marshall: Who's two, three and four?
Damon Jones: Me, in my younger days.
InsideHoops.com: So you're number one now, and two, three and four is you at various younger stages in your life?
Damon Jones: Yes.
InsideHoops.com: And he's fifth.
Damon Jones: Yeah.
InsideHoops.com: Cool.
Damon Jones: Because now I have a green light to shoot whenever I want.
InsideHoops.com: Did you not have that before?
Damon Jones: No, I didn't. Coming up, being the road that I took to get to the point that I am now, team to team, various opportunities, now I have the ultimate green light. It's like, eye-bulging.
InsideHoops.com: It must be great. To actually be able to pull up and not have to hesitate, wondering if shooting is right.
Damon Jones: No reprimands...
[Interview now pauses because Donyell drags Damon away to show him something in the adjacent room... And now, the interview continues]
InsideHoops.com: [Speaking into my recorder so Damon can hear me] And, we're back with the best player in the history of sports.
Damon Jones: I'm the best show in tennis shoes.
InsideHoops.com: So you didn't quite have a full green light before? How about in Miami?
Damon Jones: I've had the ultimate green light the last two years. Last year was more fluorescent than this year. I take it upon myself to be assertive.
InsideHoops.com: So the green light was fully green last year.
Damon Jones: Right, green like it never went yellow nor red. It was always just glaring, like the bright lights of Hollywood.
InsideHoops.com: And now it's green, but not glaring quite as much.
Damon Jones: I mean it's glaring, and at times, in different situations it might turn to a greenish-yellow. But I deal with it.
InsideHoops.com: Now as for LeBron James, he's not too bad, and I don't think the Cavs plan to cut him anytime soon. He'll probably stick in the league. What's your take on how he jumped from last season to this season, being even greater than people thought he'd be?
Damon Jones: Awesome. His maturity over season to season, his improvement ever year has gotten better, and I think now he's tired of the constant criticism of saying that he's good but not good enough to make the playoffs or be successful as far as winning is concerned. I think he understands that, and what he's doing now is, he's not only creating things for himself but he's creating things for others. And that's been a key to why we've been successful thus far, is because we're focusing really hard on defense, and offensively we're sharing the basketball. And when you have the type of talent that we have, and you make everyone on the floor an option, teams have trouble guarding all five options, so it all starts with him. He's been very unselfish and I think his legend, it's only going to get better and better as we continue to win.
