Updates
Sun, Sep 2nd 2007, 14:55
JJ answers questions from fans
Q: How did you get into writing poetry? (from nicole)
JJ: I started writing poetry when I was in 8th grade. My grandfather (my mom’s dad) had passed away that year and the first poem I ever remember writing was about my mom and her father. Today, I write about a variety of topics and have learned that poetry is a very personal experience.
Q: Ok, so I’m sitting her in my new apartment about to start college and I’m missing my friends and family some kinda bad. I know because of basketball and distance you didn’t get to go home that often so how did you get through it? (from amber)
JJ: I’m going to be honest with you, it’s hard for any one to leave home and go to college. The best way to deal with missing your family and high school friends is to make new friends. College is about discovering yourself and becoming comfortable with who you are. Don’t be afraid to meet new people. I was lucky in that I played basketball and had a group of guys I could call my friends. However, some of closest friends from college weren’t on the basketball team.
Q: My friends and I travel to the Triangle at the end of every year to watch some basketball and to celebrate New Years Eve. Any suggestions for the best place to ring in 2008? (from chris and friends)
JJ: When I was at Duke I never got to “ring in the new year”- we always had practice on New Year’s Day. My suggestion to you would be to head over to Glenwood Ave in Raleigh or Franklin Street in Chapel Hill.
Q: After playing with Kobe Bryant in Las Vegas, would you agree that he’s not as standoff-ish as some media outlets portray him to be? (From Dale V)
JJ: Kobe is the man. Without a doubt, he’s the most talented player in the NBA. From my experiences in Vegas, I can say that Kobe is a great teammate and leader. The guy just wants to win!
Q: I was thinking about my favorite game of yours at Duke (‘03 ACC Finals,‘06 at UNC, Dockery Buzzer Beater, the Texas stomping all come to mind)... do you have one particular favorite game? (From Andrew)
JJ: I would say my favorite game of my college career was the ACC Championship game my freshman year. We were down 15 to NC State with 10 minutes to go but staged a furious comeback and won our 6th straight ACC title. I had 30 points, including 23 points in the last ten minutes of the game. Personally, I had dreamed of playing in that game my whole life and to have it happen the way it did was very memorable. My two other favorites- 1) the entire ACC tournament my junior year. After a dissapointing sophomore and making some life changes, winning the ACC championship was very rewarding. 2) the Texas game my senior year. 1 vs 2. Duke wins by 31 in the Meadowlands. Enough said….oh, and I had 41 points.
Q: J.J, when you got your first Magic paycheck, what were some of the first things you did? (From Rob)
JJ: A lot of people don’t realize that when a rookie gets drafted in June he doesn’t start getting an NBA paycheck until November 15. I was fortunate that I had some endorsements and got a signing bonus. I don’t really remember the first thing that I bought- I guess it was my first watch (yes, the Rolex) that I purchased the day before I got drafted.