Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes
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The Utah Jazz is now 43-13 in the regular season since Kyle Korver came over from Philadelphia in a December trade last year.
While Korver's sore wrist isn't helping his shooting this season, Kyle's obviously very comfortable in this system, this city and this community.
That's where part 2 of our conversation with Korver picks up.
Tom Kirkland: The team is close. You have a lot of guys back, and you're more familiar with the community. But next year -- I don't want to go into the opt out thing, but the fact that you like it here and this team seems to suit your skills, is that going to factor into any decisions you might have?
Kyle Korver: Absolutely. I mean, money only makes you so happy. It really doesn't do you a whole lot if you're not enjoying your life, enjoying basketball. I've been on bad teams, I've lost a lot of games. It's not fun. It wears you out. Being here, this is a great team, this is a great city to play in. I've been in arenas where there's almost no one there and that's not the case here; it's full ever night. It's a fun place to play, a fun place to live and I think the city kind of fits my personality. I enjoy it. So, I might not opt out. I don't know what's going on next summer. Who knows what the future holds? I feel good about the know and soaking it in and enjoying it.
Kirkland: The game day routine for players is somewhat sacred. Let's say a game day like this, minus the interview. What's your game day prep? What's your routine?
Korver: Game day prep? I wake up, make my toast, come to shoot around, I go back, relax, watch a little TV and get some sleep. For a while I thought if I don't have my nap -- I think everyone has a nap. I don't know one player that doesn't take a nap on game day. People don't know that after games our sleeping schedules are thrown off because of the traveling. Think about what gets you most excited in life and do that from 10 p.m. and try to go to bed at midnight. It doesn't happen. I usually don't fall asleep until 3:00 or 4:00 in the mornings. That nap is just what you do before the game. It's not a real long process. It's a pretty simple day, but that's the way I like it.
Kirkland: How's your wrist?
Korver: It's getting better every day. It's still a little sore. It's good enough.
Kirkland: But for a shooter, that's like having a bad engine in NASCAR isn't it?
Korver: It's not ideal, but it's good enough.
Kirkland: But I noticed you can still let the shot go.
Korver: I'll still shoot it. I don't have to worry about that.
Kirkland: You never what to have your best player out. But, what has it done for the team to be winning and working with out Deron, knowing he will be back and you won't miss a beat?
Korver: I think it gives us confidence. But you know we've talked during training camp about the depth of this team. We've got a lot of people that can play. We've got Breven, Ronnie Price we knew was going to play well. That's what we have on this team; we have 10 or 11 guys that can really play well on this team. Over the course of 82 games you're going to have guys out. I mean, Booz might go out, Memo might go out, and we feel we have guys that can go out and step in. Ideally we would like to have everyone healthy. Deron is a great, great player, one of the best in the NBA, and we what him back. But for the time being, I think we can steer the ship in the right direction.
Conversation, part 1
Kyle Korver: I started doing it in Philly, it started off as kind of, you know, the team comes to you and assigns you this drive. At first I was like ‘Alright, yeah,' because the person who had it before me didn't do a really good job with it. He came into the locker room -- I won't name who it was -- he's like ‘Give me $300; it's for the kids.' I was like ‘What?' He's like ‘I'm doing a coat drive; give me $300.' And I'm like ‘Are you serious?' But I'm a rookie, so I'm like ‘Whatever.' It's for the kids, so I give him $300. The next year they come to me and they're like ‘Would you like to do the coat drive?' My memory of the coat drive is me giving my teammate $300.
Tom Kirkland: Strong armed.
Korver: Yeah, so I'm like ‘No I really don't want to do it at all.' But I got talked into it, those things work out. I did it and it ended up being a really cool thing. People really enjoy it; I think they connect with it. Everyone likes to help out kids, especially here where it is cold, and you walk outside when it's freezing and think these kids might not be able to get a coat. You feel really connected with people all over the country, sending coats in, it's been a really cool thing.
Kirkland: It's kind of a part of who you are, too.
Korver: Right. I like to find fun ways to kind of give back. It's one thing to open your wallet and give to things, but when you're involved with it, it kind of gives it a different meaning. I feel like since I'm associated with this drive, people kind of connected with me, it's kind of a special thing.
Kirkland: Is there a correlation, obviously a different feeling when you're in a zone playing, or playing in a playoff game, it's an unbelievable athletic high; when you're doing good things for kids, that's got to be another, well not a high, but another kind of euphoria.
Korver: Oh sure. I think it helps you feel purpose. Basketball's a very small part of life, and I was raised to know that. It's just what makes you feel you're doing the right thing. It makes you feel good. My family, were not so much about speaking out your faith but living it out, and this kind of shows me. I don't quote scripture at people or get in people's faces, it just doesn't work for me. This is just how we live out our faith.
Kirkland: Now you've had a chance to kind of grow into the community a little, is there anything different than you ever imagined?
Korver: Well I know people now, I'm able to hang out with friends, not that I didn't last year but now I can get deeper into the community a little bit. I played on a softball team this summer, a city softball team. That was a great time, just being able to feel like you're more connected. I'm not living in a hotel. I have a place now which is very nice. It's very comfortable; I like that. There's a lot of things, as far as the team, you feel like you've gelled a little more. There are a lot of things. I really enjoy it.
