More proof NBA players are the craziest

Darius Miles interview with the Oregonian

With the fans, I love the fans to death. We have the best fans, I feel they can go against any fans in the NBA. We have a great owner, and I appreciate everything Paul Allen has done for me. But our fans are so perfect and so great. For the some of them who boo, I would boo me too, if I saw some of the stuff they show on the news channels or if I had seen some of the stuff that they write down, I would boo me, too. So, I don't really take the boos as offense, I take the boos as a love of their team and a love of the Trail Blazers as an organization.

There were little boos on and off. Yesterday, there was one guy in the stands at halftime, when I was shooting with Martell, he was like "You should give the money back and just leave our team!" I listened and said all right....

Q: But you were hoping to get moved?

A: Yeah, I was hoping to get moved. No matter where it was I was hoping to get moved. I feel it's best. They actually, I actually overheard that I’m influencing or I have a say-so in what Zach do and what everyone else do. Look, I don't influence nobody. I can't tell no grown man what to do. Anyway, that don't even sound right, me coming to somebody and say I want you to come to the game and leave, or I want you to be late for practice. Come on now. How does that sound? That don't even sound right coming out of anybody's mouth. ...

It’s a mistake I made, I know now you can’t get dressed without the head coach's permission.

Q: So did you wait until everyone left to start getting dressed?

A: Nah, I had my jersey off during the halftime speech. Like I said it was a mistake, everybody makes mistake. Me missing one shootaround and me doing the jersey thing, if that's the reason that we lost 61 games, if them two reasons, and I influenced everyone else to do bad things, like I'm the Grinch or something, then hey, probably better for me to get a new beginning and better off for them to go their own way. ...

Q: Back to the part where you are viewed as this bad influence. There have been two incidents, where one, you are said to have been at practice smelling of alcohol. Two, you rejoin the team in February, go on road trip, and take a bunch of players out to a club before the Indiana game.

A: That's what I’m saying, I’m the fallback guy. Just because I’m not playing, I’m the one taking guys out. Why cant somebody call my room and say want to go get a drink or something? But I’m the one.

And with alcohol, I can go out with my wife to Ruth Chris the night before. If I sit down, have a bunch of glasses of wine, and I might be a little tipsy and she drives me home, everything be cool. Next day in practice, if you sweat, it’s going to come out of your pores, regardless. We got a lot of players on our team, which I’m not going to name, because this is my situation, but if you ask any coach around the league how many times they have smelled liquor on a player? As long as that player is showing up on time, doing the drills, and he running, that's just a part of it. But I’m not the person who is going to put people’s name out there. But yeah, there have been times.

Q: But yeah, what?

A: Yeah, you probably smelled liquor on me before. But it’s not like I’m at practice drunk. I’m totally focused. I don't care if you come to practice and take shower, once you go to practice and start sweating, its going to come out. That doesn't mean you aren’t focused or ready to practice. Like you might go out, you might get drunk, and come to the gym higher than a mother, and you sweating, you smell like liquor, and you interviewing everybody. What does that mean? You still 100 percent focused. That's just ridiculous. Ask any other team, little petty stuff like that, if you ask any other coach in the NBA if they smell liquor on a player, any coach would say, every year. Some players go out in every city they go to. ...

Look at this season: I’m your franchise player, what is a Darius Miles bobble head like? Didn’t have one. And every time they had those little things with players talking on big screen, you ain’t never see me saying nothing on that do you?

Q: Why?

A: Your guess is as good as mine.

Q: Does that bug you?

A: It’s like you are telling me I’m this franchise player, but hey … once I noticed it, and I was like dang, I don’t have no bobble head? They tried to get me one at the last minute, and I was like, ‘No, I’m fine.’

But I don't want to sound like I’m whining. But this is what you all are telling me. You mean to tell me, if they have a Steve Nash, a Raja Bell, Amare Stoudemire, and a Boris Diaw bobblehead, they wouldn't have a Shawn Marion? But I don't want this whole interview to sound like I’m whining. ...

Q: Why is that?

A: I guess just so much pressure. Just stupid stuff out here. Just stuff that don't even really, like everything is just … everything just ridiculous. Blown totally out of proportion.

Q: By…?

A: By the media, by the organization.

Q: Everytime you mention the media, I assume you are talking about me.

A: It's not just you. Like this year, I don't recall reading anything or anyone telling me anything crazy. Canzano, he just wild, but he funny to read. I think he is scared of me. When he sees me, if people are around he will speak, but if he is by himself, he be looking like I’m going to do something to him.

Q: You think I’m afraid of you?

A: I think we came to an understanding at the beginning of the year. That's why I’ve never had no problem talking to you. I got more mature, and like I said, I kept my mouth shut the whole year. I took everything in, all the pounding, took all that in, all the everything in – like from SportsCenter, PTI, all that - took all that in. But then, when somebody else doing something, it’s blamed on me because I influenced it. But like I said I'll take the blame, if you really want to blame me for playing 40 games and having 21 wins and 61 losses, you right, I’m the captain and I have to accept that. But I ain’t trying to be in that position no more.

Photo of Darius Miles found in various places online.