AK: What drew you to UCLA? Afflalo: I just wanted to stay home. At the time, UCLA was going through a transition period from [Steve] Lavin to Coach [Ben] Howland. They were kind of in some rough times, so just the idea of coming back in and restoring some of that rich tradition that UCLA had. Being one of the main reasons UCLA got back to prominence after being down a few years, it was really fun for me. To do it right here in my backyard was really cool.
"In all honesty, and it's hard to do, but it takes responsibility on both parties. Obviously, I'm a player and I can only take responsibility from the players' standpoint, but it just takes responsibility from both parties and understanding of that. Until you have a complete understanding that it's not worth it, that sometimes winning a fight will result in a loss. You have to know that. And if you get caught up in the moment and you don't recognize that, regardless of whether you win your battle or not, player or owner, you're gonna do damage. "You have to ask yourself, is that damage worth it. Is that damage worth that win?" A refreshing respite from the constant blame game that the NBA negotiations have become.
According to SI.com, Afflalo should be the top free agent target for NBA teams wishing to add a wing. He earns special mention for his "two-way" abilities, making it clear that exceptional defense is still a valued commodity in the NBA, despite stale jokes to the contrary.
Arron Afflalo on UCLA, CBH, and repping Compton.
Arron Afflalo starts his 4th NBA season tonight for the Denver Nuggets. Already praised for his work ethic and shut down defense, AA is expected to provide a bigger scoring punch for the Nuggets this year. Bruin fans know he'll do it, too.
The Denver Post series features our Ben Ball Warrior today...
Back-to-back 15 point games. PT in crunch time. Combines with Ty Lawson to give team a crazy fast and in-your-face tempo. Fans and media here are loving AA. After the interview, co-host Scott Hastings (NBA champ with the Pistons) who does color for Nuggets TV was raving about AA's work ethic and role on the team.
Great article in the Denver Post today on AA. You gotta read the compliments the Nugget players and brass have for Afflalo - not that that surprises any of us., of course.