University of North Carolina Athletics
McCants/Williams Press Conference Transcript
October 19, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Oct. 19, 2004
October 19, 2004
Coach Roy Williams:
[after watching tape of Rashad McCants' interview]
"[Rashad] did a great job of repeating something that I had told him in our first meeting last year after I came here that I expected last year's team to do some damage in the tournament, and I had thought if we had a good year in recruiting and brought some players in and got some more depth that we would have a team that could win the whole thing and so he repeated what I said there.
"I think we're going to do this two or three ways; I think that first of all I'll tell you my initial reaction when I saw the papers, and I think Steve has a copy of the paper, and C.B. [McGrath, assistant coach] and Jerod Haase had told me they were there and I stopped and bought the papers: Durham Herald Sun and across the front it says "McCants Compares Playing At UNC to Prison." And that's what the headline said in the Durham paper and the headline in the Raleigh paper.
"I read it and I was really ticked off. There's no question about that--that's about as mad as I've ever been at anything like that. And about as mad as I've ever been at any player--no it's madder than I've ever been at any player over anything that he's said. And I came to practice that afternoon, I called the entire team in and handed them copies of the articles that were in the Raleigh paper and the Durham paper.
"I told Rashad that no uncertain terms that there was a huge difference playing basketball at UNC and prison because one, its like Monopoly -- I can give him a "get out of jail free" card because he could leave, he could quit. And if he honestly felt that way, that's what he should do. And that if he was talking about having to go to class and having tutors' appointments and having to be on time and be accountable, you're darn right, that's the way it was and it wasn't going to change.
"I also told him that I think this hurt us two ways: if I'm his teammate, it hurt me as a teammate because here was a guy saying that playing basketball is like prison so he then must think that it was prison for the other guys and playing with me is like being in jail. And I would not like that if I was a teammate. If it is just a job, I would not like that as a teammate because college basketball is supposed to be fun, and even though we have big time dreams-basically the majority of my team has big-time dreams--you still have to love college basketball. And so I felt like it hurt us that way. And the second way is it--I told him I appreciated him giving the other schools information to send to our recruits for the next five years because that's is what is going to get out, and as of right now everybody that we're recruiting this year we already know for a fact has already received copies of the articles in the mail or in a fax. So I told him I appreciated that, and it was really going to make our jobs a heck of a lot easier that its something else that we were going to have to answer.
"So I was really ticked off about it; I think the use of the word "jail" is a terrible example, and I told his uncle that I totally disagree with that correlation; I didn't think that was right at all. I thought it was so far from the truth that it was completely inappropriate whatsoever.
"I also told Rashad that I totally disagree with the "9 to 5" reference because as most of you know have family members who have worked 9 to 5, you do not, you are like me--you have different hours, but a guy who works 9 to 5--my mother worked in a factory for 51 years and Rashad had it a lot easier than my mother did. Rashad has it a lot easier than his parents do. So the comment about being in a 9 to 5 job, I did not like.
"You know, college is really--it's not only not all that bad, college is pretty dog-gone good. Every player I've ever had, including Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collision that were here two weeks ago, said they would give anything to come back and do it all again. So I think that that is a--and I bet you everyone of you would go back and do it, now you would really like if you could go back and have the knowledge that you have right now.
"But in saying all that, you know later on I was able to watch the whole interview and I watched that interview and I thought first of all the interview was very thoughtful comparing it to an election and President Bush and how to meet with everyone, and I can't have a one-on-one conversation with everyone-I thought it was very thoughtful.
"And I guess the bottom line is I disagree with the use of the word "jail"--flat out, no question. I'd even disagree with the 9 to 5 reference. His comments could have been much better if he had perhaps said "college basketball" or his comments could have been better if he had said, you know, you pick a word.
"But I'm here to tell you right now I don't think, watching that interview; I don't think his comments deserved those headlines. I really don't. I mean I was so mad at him Sunday night I wouldn't let him practice because I told him I didn't want to coach him. And he came up after practice and talked to the coaches and told us what he was trying to say. And that some of the things, but fellas, ladies, gal, whatever... I don't think that that young man's statements in that interview--you get to make your own decisions--but I don't think that interview deserved to have it across the nation that "McCants says that UNC is like being in prison" because number 1, he didn't say that, but we'll let Rashad say some things now. And I will watch what he says."
Rashad McCants:
"Well first off, I'm nervous. I don't know why, but I just want to start off by saying I love North Carolina. I wouldn't be here if I didn't. You guys know the story--my childhood dream, Michael Jordan, Vince Carter, all that. I mean, three years with my teammates; I wouldn't trade it for the world. I wouldn't ask my sister to reevaluate going to UConn, Tennessee to come to UNC [if I didn't love it]. I know this is a place where it feels like heaven.
"But lately, you know, I started to feel different because I read in the paper something I never said. It's kind of hard, you know, when I come to practice, but I can't practice. And that hurts me because the expectations for this season in our own locker room are so high and I can't go on the floor and help my teammates because something was misprinted or taken totally out of context.
"I did use the wrong sort of word as an analogy to playing basketball, but we do have responsibility as players to in here and work hard and take everything we do seriously. We wouldn't want to be in here using basketball and shooting jump shots as a hobby. I don't think college basketball players go in the gym using being a college basketball player as a hobby; you know, you can turn it on and off when you want--you play video games as a hobby.
"So you know, Coach Williams does disagree with the "9 to 5" reference, but we do have a lot of responsibility, a lot of accountability that are required of us to do--you know, come in here and lift; give it all we got, get on the court, stay focused, give it all we've got.
"You guys are doing your jobs right now, some of you don't like it, some of you enjoy it. But this is what I love to do. I love to play basketball, and I want to make it my job one day.
"And I feel right now it's a lot of responsibility not only to play basketball, but explaining comments that I made. But to clear all the speculation, everything I said was never anything negative about the UNC program, recruiting, anything. Everything was for the positive. I thought it was a pretty good interview and that I answered the questions pretty well. And for anyone that put in bold text that I compared it to prison, it's kind of crazy. That's pretty much all I have to say."
