GER - Kaman anything but "monster"

SIAULIAI (EuroBasket 2011) - German national team coach Dirk Bauermann calls his NBA frontcourt duo of Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman a "two-headed monster". But the 29-year-old Kaman is anything but a monster - well, at least off the court.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan native, who enjoys joking with journalists, talked to fiba.com about learning German, being back in the Germany uniform, the joys of playing for the national team, Olympic memories, Dirk Nowitzki and his gun collection. 

FIBA: So, this is your second summer with the German national team after the 2008 Olympics summer. How is your German going?

I'm learning little by little every day. New words. Some good one and bad ones. Coach (Dirk Bauermann) has been in the U.S. and coached there and all the guys on the team do a great job speaking English. Even all the physios speak English.

FIBA: And what about if Bauermann yells something?

It depends on who he's yelling at. If he yelling at me it's in English and if he's yelling at one of the other guys it's in German and I have to kind of ask someone else what it was about.

FIBA: Talk about the camaraderie of being with the national team as compared to the NBA.

It's more of a team thing and I like the concept a lot. Together as a team you do stuff, you eat all our meals together, we room together. To come here it's refreshing. It's a lot different than what I'm used to for the last eight years in the NBA. So I enjoy it.

FIBA: You played at the 2008 Olympics. What is your favourite memory from there?

Just the Opening Ceremony walking in with Dirk holding the flag and walking on that track. It was just incredible. There's just nothing like it. You can't top it.

FIBA: What can you say about Dirk Nowitzki?

You don't have to say much. Everybody knows how good of a basketball player he is. He's a good guy off the court. He does a good job keeping up with his teammates and stuff like that.

Most important is that he's a good guy. We all know he's a great player and MVP and won a championship, but he treats people the right way and I respect that very highly.

FIBA: How much different is the international game than the NBA style?

Here everybody is ready to give the ball up for their teammates to make shots. Everybody is playing together on a string. I think it's a bit slower but it's a bit more fundamental. It's a bit more solid at the core of basketball. It's more basketball.

FIBA: I hear you have a gun collection?

Yeah, I've been collecting guns since I was little. My grandfather had a rifle that we used to shoot when I was little. From then I've just collected more knives and guns. And I have a huge collection now.

FIBA: What does that say about your character?

Oh, I don't know, don't mess with me I guess.

 

FIBA