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Bonzi Wells joins JMV to discuss his career, how he got involved in the BIG3, his team and coach, on what people will see this weekend, how much he plays now, being invited to the NBA Draft, actually being drafted and more.
On how he got involved in the BIG3:
“A few years ago, Ice Cube had a vision and he reached out to a few of us NBA guys and kind of told us his vision and asked us if we wanted to be a part of it or could we help him execute it. He kind of wanted to get a dozen or so of us to come together and figure out how we were going to put the league together, things we could or couldn’t do. It all kind of started working out and coming together and we are on year three now and we are just so excited because we didn’t think something like this would take off and to be able to go into these different arenas going from city to city and get upwards from 13-15,000 fans, it is unbelievable.”
On moments that he relishes now that his NBA career is over:
“Honestly, if you know me, you know I am a very humble guy. Coming from Muncie, playing ball at Ball State, not really being a worldly type of guy, I would have never thought it was possible for me. I just remember the day that I got drafted after coach McCallum told me would pay off for me if I buy into his system at Ball State, and I did. I just remember my first five years in Portland I have had so many amazing teammates, I have played with hall-of-famers, I have played with some of the best guys who have ever played the game. We made some deep runs in the playoffs, I remember those times, the good and the bad. I know they wrote some bad stuff about us but those were just growing pains and what you go through. The basketball stuff was pure and it was fun and I played a couple years in Houston. I got to play with the great Yao ming and Tracy McGrady, that was always cool. The traveling around and getting to see the world was awesome and I was so happy that my basketball talent did that for me. If it wasn’t for the prayers from my family, and friends, and even some luck, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.”
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