UNC Grand Rashad McCants pleases Michael Jordan, Bill Belichick and more

Rashad McCants is a former All-American from McDonald’s who pursued his basketball career at the University of North Carolina, where he won as one of the great time of all Tar Heels, winning a national championship in 2005 and twice appointed All-American. His college success led him to be selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA 2005 NBA, 14th in total.

After a career of the NBA which saw it on average 10 points per match between the stops in Minnesota and Sacramento, McCants became the very first choice of the Big3 League of Ice Cube. His team won the inaugural league and McCants championship was appointed MVP of championship match.

Monday, McCants, who previously wrote a book on the exploitation of athlete students – Planting: the exploitation of the modern-student athletejoined the Outkick exclusively on Monday to talk about the NBA final, the adjustment of Bill Belichick to the UNC, playing alongside Kevin Garnett, the NCAA transfer portal and more.

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Anthony Farris: With the NBA final currently on a match, a song between Oklahoma City and Indiana, who have you released as a possible winner and in how many matches?

Rashad McCants: I have Indiana in seven (matches) because (the head coach) Rick Carlisle will not allow certain things to happen where (the Pacers) do not have the opportunity to win, as you saw in the first match. I think that the lack of OKC experience will have them placed in situations where they will compromise the games and I think that only Indiana will allow you to enter. And the fans base (Indiana) can propel a new story at the front of the tabloids instead of OKC by making the MVP (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander).

Farris: If you start a team today, do you do it with SGA or Tyrese Haliburton?

McCants: There is a preference on the type of team you want to constitute. But right now, if I’m a winner and I want a team with chemistry, I’m going to choose Haliburton because it distributes the ball. He shares sugar, ensures that everyone gets involved. And he is not afraid to take the last blow. It has nothing to do with Shai, it has everything to do with the advantages of Haliburton as a guy focused on the team.

Thunder Strike behind while Shai Gilgeous-Aalexander dominates match 2 to the NBA finals against Pacers

Farris: You played your first two NBA seasons with Kevin Garnett on the Timberwolves. What did this experience look like?

McCants: My experience with him was completely different from that of others because I could see the raw element of whom he is in time of time when he does not wear the mask and that he does not play. Many people can say through their experiences: “that’s how it is”, “that’s how it is.” But if he didn’t let you cross the door to let you see who he is, you would see that he is just a fun guy. He likes to do everything that everyone likes to do, but he is very competitive, very intense and very funny. So, if you exceed a lot of these small areas where it can scare you or intimidate you, you will find that he is just a funny ass guy who is cool like hell …

Farris: As hard as everyone says?

McCants: Absolutely. It includes the dynamics of details similar to Kobe. I think that having Kev as a mentor and veterinarian, I felt like I had Kobe Bryant as the same type of guy. I knew they were cut off from the same type of fabric, both being my heroes. It was not at all a removal with regard to competitiveness, the details, the leg game, all these things.

Farris: You played against Kobe, LeBron, Wade, Arenas, others. Who was the best you played in during your NBA career for?

McCants: Kobe Bryant was the best. I was a great student to him. But when it comes to talent … It is difficult to keep a chess master. (He was) like Bobby Fischer. He was just one of those guys for whom you had to prepare two to three days in advance. Outside him, probably Vince Carter.

Rashad McCants of the UNC reacts after marking a basket. McCants scored 28 points in a Vicktory 91-78 on Kentucky. (Bob Donnan-USA today Sports)

… Just this period of the era. You are talking about shooting guards and small attackers, Paul Pierce to Tracy McGrady to Ray Allen in Dwyane Wade in Michael Redd, we had to see a lot of guys (stars), so it’s difficult to simply identify one or two guys. But then again, it’s really really, really easy because there was a guy who was better than all these guys – Kobe.

Farris: going to university athletics, what do you think of the transfer portal? Do you think it’s a good thing?

McCants: Whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing, there is simply no structure. … I think it can be a good thing if it is done well and if children are not allowed to present themselves and do nothing and ask for things. There must be a contractual obligation. For you to get this money, you must introduce yourself and go practice, you must be attentive. There are things now: limits, restrictions. It’s not just that you can earn money and act as if you were a millionaire, you don’t have to come and play. In my book, I am talking about performance -based requirements and academic requirements. If you are here for basketball, you have to do all these things before transferring. If you are Caleb Love and want to leave the North Carolina and go to Arizona, okay, have you answered all your requirements?

Farris: When you were at UNC, Michael Jordan was ever there and was there open communication lines?

McCants: He came. It was Michael Jordan, so we did not have access to him like that (laughing), but he definitely came to practices to say hello. He would come back and said hello to everyone and betrayed us to shoot from Halfcourt and keep him Momin.

Farris: Who won that?

McCants: Me, of course.

Farris: So did you beat Jordan?

McCants: Well, I first struck (the attempted shooting).

Trilogy Shoot Guard Rashad McCants (32) controls the ball against 3 head monsters during the Big 3 championship match at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SPORTS)

Farris: How do you feel, as Tar Heel, with a) Having Bill Belichick as a school football coach? And b) with everything around him right now?
McCants: (Laughs) I really like Belichick. I think the UNC movement was a good decision for him. But I think that with his morale and everything around her now, (his girlfriend Jordon Hudson) and everything is just a controversy that awaits to happen. It is more pressure on him than ever, because if he does not win, it is the distractions that surround him and he is not really concentrated. And if he wins, it may be a little too easy. You went down to the ranks of the college to dominate. I love the fact that he is in North Carolina to bring prestige (on the program). Mack Brown tried. This is an opportunity for him to build something. But Belichick, I’m just thinking … he’s going to be a man. He’s going to be a man and do what you want to do. I’m not going to tell him not to do it. You know, we all want to do it, but you have to have enough money to do it. And if you don’t, you don’t. Cool. But greet Bill. He has fun. He lives his life.

Farris: One last question. The Big3 of Ice Cube returns this weekend. You won a championship in the first season of the League. What is the size of an adjustment of the reading of the Complete Court 5-sur 5 to 3 against 3 half-COUR?

McCants: When you talk about preparation for this and half and the difference, you play much stronger because you can be exposed much faster. There is not much aid (defense). With 5 against 5, you have a lot of additional help with two additional guys in the field. You can cut the courtyard (angles) and rest a little in a way. But 3-on3, as soon as a blow increases, someone gets the rebound, and you can throw it to (a player to) the line of three points and pull it (immediately). So everyone is constantly flowing. You must be in (good) cardio (shape). This is not what everyone thinks it is. It’s really more difficult than 5-sur 5.