16. What does it take for a rookie to break in and make an immediate impact?

You might see one or two players a year who make an immediate impact. I measure impact by how much you contribute to the improvement of your team. So if San Antonio won 33 more games with Tim Duncan than without him, obviously he had an impact, even though part of that was also due to David Robinson’s return. A lot of players come into the league with the skill to play the game; I think what separates the impact players is how do they do when the game is on the line? That’s the true measure of a professional. Again, this is more a matter of attitude and mental outlook rather than athletic ability.

17. Who do you think are the up and coming stars?

The only one I can really comment on is Elton Brand, who I saw play in college and in some international games. I wish him well. Otherwise, who is a star? A star’s light goes out in the daytime, and daytime is the NBA. Some so-called stars burn out quickly. I think you have to be around for a while and maintain a level of excellence before you are considered a star. I think the players who are going to be impact players have already made an impact. Often the impact is short-lived. Some so-called stars are stars to the media but not on the court. I know the NBA constantly wants to develop new stars, because that helps them create more marketing opportunities off the court. I think the focus of the NBA has become more about selling product to the public and less about the game itself, and they think they need stars in order to do this.

18. How does women’s basketball compare to men’s?

Women are certainly coming on and having more and more of an impact. Otherwise, both men and women play with the same rules. Some people think women play a more fundamentally sound game, a more aesthetic game. I think they play pretty much the same as the men. They play the way they learned in college. It’s still pretty much work the ball inside. You don’t see that many double picks or reverses or weakside plays.