Utah Jazz center Al Jefferson walked into a room Thursday afternoon and, after a short introduction, got peppered with question after question from curious minds.
This, however, wasn't your typical press conference. Heck, it wasn't even a press conference. The questions Jefferson fielded came from the dozens of kids who had a rare opportunity to ask an NBA player anything they wanted while he spent some time with them at Palmer Court, an affordable housing center for formerly homeless families in Salt Lake City.
Between the intro and the Q&A - and before he gave them backpacks loaded with school supplies - here are some of the tidbits those tots and teens learned about the Jazz center:
- He's 25 years old, 6-foot-10, wears size 18 shoes, was raised in a small town in Mississippi called Prentice and likes fishing, listening to music and watching movies in his spare time.
- He grew up as a fan of the Chicago Bulls - even (gasp!) rooted against the Jazz in the 1997 and '98 NBA Finals.
- His favorite NBA player was not Michael Jordan - it was/is a large non-Bull: Shaquille O'Neal.
- He was "always the biggest one in class" growing up, was a whopping 6-foot-7 in the ninth grade and entered the NBA straight out of high school. And, Jefferson added, "I knew from the beginning I was going to be a basketball player."
- He has one son. (He definitely loves kids, which was evident by how he interacted with them, including giving high-fives and hugs and even holding a 6-month-old baby, who gazed up at him with a curious stare and big brown eyes, much to the delight of the onlooking adults.)
- The former Minnesota and Boston player didn't expect to be on the Jazz but considers the trade of fate "a dream come true."
- He also considers it "a blessing" to be on any team.
- He laughs when asked if he knows what SpiderMan's first name is.
- His friends call him "Big Al," so he wants the 40 kids at The Road Home-sponsored center to call him that because they're his friends.
- He remembers first trying to play basketball with an older cousin when he was 5 years old.
- He predicts "a lot of practice coming up in two weeks" (when the Jazz begin training camp).
- He has an optimistic response to a girl's question, "Think we can make it?" Jefferson: "I think we have a great chance. I really do." He's also "so excited" to play with Deron Williams, whom he calls "the best point guard in the league."
- He considers himself a "homebody." And, no, he is not married.
- His favorite NFL team is the Patriots (because of his three years in Boston, no doubt), but he doesn't envision a football career in the future. "I like to watch it, but I don't like to play it. Those guys hit too hard." He doesn't see himself pursuing any other sporting career, either. Basketball is his thing. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
- He'll wear No. 25 for the Jazz (and he eagerly signed a Jefferson jersey on a kid no taller than his waist).
- Yes, he's played the Lakers, who've eliminated Utah in three consecutive playoffs, and looks forward to the challenge again. "Yeah, we're going to beat 'em this year."
- Good news for Jazz fans - Jefferson plans on sticking around. "I would love to. I hope this will be my final team."
- His favorite Hall of Fame player - not counting the future HOFer Shaq - is Karl Malone. Jefferson likes The Mailman because he grew up not too far from him in Louisiana and was also raised in a small town. He hopes to carve out a career in Utah similar to what Malone did. He also thinks Malone was impressive in how he responded to his Hall of Fame enshrinement. "To see a big man get emotional to get accepted like that, that means a lot."
- So, why did Jefferson show up to give backpacks and school supplies and spend time with 40 underprivileged children? "It's a wonderful thing going in here. I wanted to give you one less thing to worry about."
And in doing so, he gave them a whole lot more interesting info about himself to think about.
