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Rashad McCants is a former McDonald’s All-American who continued his basketball career at the University of North Carolina, where he established himself as one of Tar Heels’ all-time greatness, won a national championship in 2005 and was twice named an All-American. His collegial success led him to be chosen by Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of 2005 NBA Draft, 14.
After an NBA career that saw him an average of 10 points per Fight between Stop in Minnesota and Sacramento, McCants became the first ever choice in Ice Cube’s Big3 League. His team won the league’s inauguration championship, and McCants was named championship games MVP.
Monday wrote McCants who previously wrote a book about the exploitation of students athletes – Plantation Eduction: The exploitation of the modern athlete studentjoined exclusively on Outkick on Monday to speak NBA Finals, Bill Belichick’s fit on UNC, who played with Kevin Garnett, NCAA Transfer Portal and more.
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Trilogy Rashad McCants (32) dribbles the ball as Tri State Nate Robinson (11) defends during the game at the Toyota Center. (Troy Taormina-usa Today Sports)
Anthony Farris: With the NBA final tied up at the moment on a game a piece between Oklahoma City and Indiana, who did you come out as the possible winner and in how many games?
Rashad McCants: I have Indiana in seven (games) because (head coach) Rick Carlisle won’t let certain things happen where (Pacers) don’t have the opportunity to win as you saw in Game One. I think OKC’s lack of experience will cause them to sit in situations where they will compromise on games, and I think it will allow Indiana to crawl in. And (Indiana) Fanbase can drive a new story to the front of the tabloids instead of OKC doing so by having MVP (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander).
FARRIS: If you start a team today, do you do so with SGA or Tyrese Haliburton?
McCants: There is a preference for what type of team you want to build. But right now, if I’m a winner and I want a team of chemistry, I choose Haliburton because he distributes the ball. He shares the sugar, makes sure everyone gets involved. And he is not afraid to take the last shot. It has nothing to do with Shai, it just has everything to do with the advantages of Haliburton being a team -oriented guy.
Thunder Strike back as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dominates games 2 for even NBA finals against Pacers
Farris: You played your first two NBA seasons with Kevin Garnett on Timberwolves. How was that experience?
McCants: My experience with him was completely different from everyone else’s because I got to see the raw element of who he is in downtime when he is not on the mask and he does not appear. Many people can say through their experiences, “that’s how he is,” “That’s how he is.” But if he has not let you through the door to let you see who he is, you would see that he is just a fun guy. He likes to do everything everyone else likes to do, but he is very competitive, very intense and very funny. So if you get past a lot of the small areas where he can scare you or scare you, you will find that he is just a fun ass guy who is cool like hell …
FARRIS: So hard a worker as everyone says?
McCants: Absolutely. He understands the dynamics in detail that looks like Kobe. I think having Kev as my mentor and veterinarian felt I had Kobe Bryant as the same type of guy. I knew they were cut from the same type of cloth, both were my heroes. It was not a drop-off at all when it came to competitiveness, details, footwork, all these things.
Farris: You played against Kobe, LeBron, Wade, Arenas, others. Who was the best you played against during your NBA career?
McCants: Kobe Bryant was the best. I was a great student of him. But when it comes to just talent..it is hard to protect a chess master. (He was) as Bobby Fischer. He was just one of those guys you had to prepare two-to-three days to come. Outside of him, probably Vince Carter.
UNCS Rashad McCants reacts after scoring a basket. McCants scored 28 points in a 91-78 vicktory over Kentucky. (Bob Donnan-usa Today Sports)
… Just that honor. You talk about shooting guards and small forward, from Paul Pierce to Tracy McGrady to Ray Allen to Dwyane Wade to Michael Redd, we had to see a lot of (star) guys, so it’s hard to just find one or two guys. But again, it’s actually really, really easy, because there was a guy who was better than all these guys – Kobe.
Farris: Switch to college -athletics, what are your thoughts on the transfer portal? Do you think that’s a good thing?
McCants: Whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing, there’s just no structure for it. … I think it can be a good thing if it’s done right and if kids don’t have the right to just show up and do nothing and demand things. There must be a contractual obligation. In order for you to get this money, you have to show up and go on practice, you have to pay attention. There are things now: boundaries, limitations. It’s not just that you can make money and you act like you’re a millionaire, you don’t have to come and perform. In my book, I talk about performance -based requirements and academic -based requirements. If you are here for basketball, do all these things before transferring. If you are Caleb Love and you will leave North Carolina and go to Arizona, okay, did you meet all your requirements?
FARRIS: When you were at UNC, was Michael Jordan ever around and were there open communication lines?
McCants: He came by. It was Michael Jordan, so we didn’t have access to him like that (laugh), but he definitely came over to practice to say hello. He had come back and said hello to everyone and bet us to shoot from Halfcourt and keep it Movin.
Farris: Who won it?
McCants: Me, of course.
FARRIS: Then you beat Jordan?
McCants: Well, I hit (the shot attempt) first.
Trilogy Shooting Guard Rashad McCants (32) controls the ball against 3 headed monsters during the big 3 championship game in the MGM Grand Garden Arena. (Mark J. Revilas-usa Today Sports)
Farris: How are you like Tarhel, with A) having Bill Belichick as the school’s football coach? And b) with everything that surrounds him right now?
McCants: (Laugh) I like Belichick. I think the UNC movement was a good step for him. But I believe with his morals and everything around him now (his girlfriend Jordon Hudson) and everything, it’s just controversy waiting to happen. It is more pressure on him than ever before, because if he does not win, it is the distractions that around him and he is not really focused. And if he wins, this might be a little too easy. You came down to the college rows to dominate. I love the fact that he is in North Carolina to give some prestige back (to the program). Mack Brown tried. It is an opportunity for him to build something. But Belichick, I just think … he’ll be a man. He becomes a man and does what you want to do. I won’t ask him not to do it. You know we all want to do it, but you have to have enough money to do it. And if you don’t, don’t. Cool. But greeting to Bill. He’s having fun. He lives his life.
FARRIS: One last question. Ice Cube’s Big3 will return this weekend. You won a championship in the league’s first season. How big an adjustment does it go from playing 5-to-5 full court to 3-to-3 half court?
McCants: When you talk about preparation for it and the half -court and the difference, you play much harder because you can be exposed much faster. There is not much help (defense). With 5-to-5 you have a lot of extra help with two extra guys on the field. You can cut off the dish (angles) and kind of rest a little. But 3-to3, as soon as a shot goes up, gets someone rebound, and you can throw it (a player on) the three-point line and shoot it (immediately). So everyone is constantly running around. You need to be in (good) cardio (form). That’s not what everyone thinks it is. It’s definitely harder than 5-to-5.
