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http://www.nba.com/suns/news/qa_eisley_040105.html
Suns.com: First of all, tell us how you found out about the trade and what was your initial reaction?
Eisley: Well, I was surprised. (Knicks President) Isaiah Thomas called me this morning. I was surprised because I hadn't heard anything. It came out of the blue. I got the call this morning that said that it might happen. But things have been a little tough here for me, so I’m very excited about having a new start and a new opportunity.
Suns.com: We know you just got off the phone with the Suns a few minutes ago. What did they tell you and what are your thoughts on this team you're joining?
Eisley: It sounds like it’s going to be a good situation. I know they’re a young team, a very athletic team. They have very good young players, an exciting team to watch. I’m just anxious to go down there and help and be a part it. I’m flying out of here tomorrow, but I don’t think I’m joining the club. I think I have to go take a physical. Hopefully, if everything goes well, I'll be with them Wednesday (at Milwaukee).
Suns.com: How do you feel about running the floor with Shawn Marion and Amaré Stoudemire?
Eisley:That’s very exciting when you have guys who are athletic and that can run the floor, and play as well as they do. So I’m just excited about the whole situation, to be honest with you.
Suns.com: Where is your game at, at this stage of your playing career?
Eisley: I still believe I have good basketball ahead of me. I’m just looking to get into a situation where I can go out and just play, and have fun. Hopefully, I can bring some leadership to the team and just go out and play basketball. I think I can run a team fairly well. I think I do well in the pick-and-roll situation, and I think when I’m open I can make shots.
Suns.com: Talk about the two guys that are coming over with you from the Knicks, Antonio McDyess and Maicej Lampe.
Eisley: "Dice" is a very good basketball player. He’s coming off an injury, but he’s fully recovered and he’s playing well. He’s a force inside.
People are probably not familiar with Lampe, but he’s about 6-10, very athletic. He plays on the perimeter and handles the ball very well. He’s still pretty raw but definitely can play the game. He's a very skillful player for his size. I think he’s going to be a very good basketball player in this league.
Suns.com: You've been traded a couple times in your career. What are some of the adjustments you have to make, moving to a new city and joining a new team?
Eisley: Well, this is going to be the first time I’ve had to pack up and move in the middle of the year, so I’m not really sure what to expect, what the transition’s going to be like. During the summer, you have a little time to make adjustments to the move. This is really new to me.
Suns.com: You've definitely got a change of scenery ahead of you, going from the Big Apple to the Valley of the Sun. What's it been like living in New York and how do you feel about living in the dessert?
Eisley: I like New York. I like the city, there’s always a lot to do. But during the season you don’t have a lot of time to enjoy the city anyway. So I’m not really going to miss that part of it. It’s going to be a big adjustment, but that doesn’t always mean it’s going to be bad. I like Phoenix. I actually spent a couple of All-Star breaks there, just hanging out and enjoying the weather, so I like Phoenix.
Suns.com: You also spent a week here back in '94 as a participant in the Nike Dessert Classic.
Eisley: Wow! That was a long time ago (laughs). That was an experience, coming out of college, you know, not knowing what to expect, playing in front of a bunch of NBA scouts. That was a very important time of my life back then.
Suns.com: You entered the NBA and bounced around a little bit, first between Minnesota and San Antonio as a rookie. You then went to Utah, but were cut and ended up in the CBA for a short time, before resigning with the Jazz. How tough were those early years for you and what did you learn going through all of that?
Eisley: It was a tough situation coming into the league not really knowing what to expect. When you get cut from an NBA team you’re always a little disappointed, but I wasn’t discouraged and I thought I had the ability to play in the league. Luckily for me, I had the opportunity to go play in Utah and play with two of the best players that probably ever played the game (John Stockton and Karl Malone). They really helped me, showed me the way to go, the things to do, how to carry yourself as a professional, and I think that has helped me along the rest of my career.
Suns.com: Speaking of Stockton and Malone, how much fun was it playing with those guys and enjoying all the success you guys acheived in Utah during those years? A lot of guys play in this league for a long time and never get a chance to experience the NBA Finals. You competed for a championship twice with the Jazz.
Eisley: All that was good and it was fun, but I guess the thing I appreciated most about those guys was how seriously they took their job and how they showed up every night, and their professionalism. You can’t really put that on a stat sheet, how hard they worked and how committed they were to playing. That’s probably the thing I took the most from them. They both were very good guys.
Suns.com: Last question. What's the one thing you really want fans in Phoenix to know about you, as you come in and join this Suns team?
Eisley: I’m just very excited about coming. I’m somewhere that I want to be and I’m just anxious to get there and put on the uniform, and start playing.
Suns.com: First of all, tell us how you found out about the trade and what was your initial reaction?
Eisley: Well, I was surprised. (Knicks President) Isaiah Thomas called me this morning. I was surprised because I hadn't heard anything. It came out of the blue. I got the call this morning that said that it might happen. But things have been a little tough here for me, so I’m very excited about having a new start and a new opportunity.
Suns.com: We know you just got off the phone with the Suns a few minutes ago. What did they tell you and what are your thoughts on this team you're joining?
Eisley: It sounds like it’s going to be a good situation. I know they’re a young team, a very athletic team. They have very good young players, an exciting team to watch. I’m just anxious to go down there and help and be a part it. I’m flying out of here tomorrow, but I don’t think I’m joining the club. I think I have to go take a physical. Hopefully, if everything goes well, I'll be with them Wednesday (at Milwaukee).
Suns.com: How do you feel about running the floor with Shawn Marion and Amaré Stoudemire?
Eisley:That’s very exciting when you have guys who are athletic and that can run the floor, and play as well as they do. So I’m just excited about the whole situation, to be honest with you.
Suns.com: Where is your game at, at this stage of your playing career?
Eisley: I still believe I have good basketball ahead of me. I’m just looking to get into a situation where I can go out and just play, and have fun. Hopefully, I can bring some leadership to the team and just go out and play basketball. I think I can run a team fairly well. I think I do well in the pick-and-roll situation, and I think when I’m open I can make shots.
Suns.com: Talk about the two guys that are coming over with you from the Knicks, Antonio McDyess and Maicej Lampe.
Eisley: "Dice" is a very good basketball player. He’s coming off an injury, but he’s fully recovered and he’s playing well. He’s a force inside.
People are probably not familiar with Lampe, but he’s about 6-10, very athletic. He plays on the perimeter and handles the ball very well. He’s still pretty raw but definitely can play the game. He's a very skillful player for his size. I think he’s going to be a very good basketball player in this league.
Suns.com: You've been traded a couple times in your career. What are some of the adjustments you have to make, moving to a new city and joining a new team?
Eisley: Well, this is going to be the first time I’ve had to pack up and move in the middle of the year, so I’m not really sure what to expect, what the transition’s going to be like. During the summer, you have a little time to make adjustments to the move. This is really new to me.
Suns.com: You've definitely got a change of scenery ahead of you, going from the Big Apple to the Valley of the Sun. What's it been like living in New York and how do you feel about living in the dessert?
Eisley: I like New York. I like the city, there’s always a lot to do. But during the season you don’t have a lot of time to enjoy the city anyway. So I’m not really going to miss that part of it. It’s going to be a big adjustment, but that doesn’t always mean it’s going to be bad. I like Phoenix. I actually spent a couple of All-Star breaks there, just hanging out and enjoying the weather, so I like Phoenix.
Suns.com: You also spent a week here back in '94 as a participant in the Nike Dessert Classic.
Eisley: Wow! That was a long time ago (laughs). That was an experience, coming out of college, you know, not knowing what to expect, playing in front of a bunch of NBA scouts. That was a very important time of my life back then.
Suns.com: You entered the NBA and bounced around a little bit, first between Minnesota and San Antonio as a rookie. You then went to Utah, but were cut and ended up in the CBA for a short time, before resigning with the Jazz. How tough were those early years for you and what did you learn going through all of that?
Eisley: It was a tough situation coming into the league not really knowing what to expect. When you get cut from an NBA team you’re always a little disappointed, but I wasn’t discouraged and I thought I had the ability to play in the league. Luckily for me, I had the opportunity to go play in Utah and play with two of the best players that probably ever played the game (John Stockton and Karl Malone). They really helped me, showed me the way to go, the things to do, how to carry yourself as a professional, and I think that has helped me along the rest of my career.
Suns.com: Speaking of Stockton and Malone, how much fun was it playing with those guys and enjoying all the success you guys acheived in Utah during those years? A lot of guys play in this league for a long time and never get a chance to experience the NBA Finals. You competed for a championship twice with the Jazz.
Eisley: All that was good and it was fun, but I guess the thing I appreciated most about those guys was how seriously they took their job and how they showed up every night, and their professionalism. You can’t really put that on a stat sheet, how hard they worked and how committed they were to playing. That’s probably the thing I took the most from them. They both were very good guys.
Suns.com: Last question. What's the one thing you really want fans in Phoenix to know about you, as you come in and join this Suns team?
Eisley: I’m just very excited about coming. I’m somewhere that I want to be and I’m just anxious to get there and put on the uniform, and start playing.
