EVENTS
 Sportsman of the Year
 Heisman Trophy
 Swimsuit 2001

CNNSI.com GROUP
 Sports Illustrated
 Life of Reilly
 SI Women
 SI for Kids
 Press Room
 TBS/TNT Sports
 CNN Languages

COMMERCE
 SI Customer Service
 SI Media Kits
 Get into College
 Sports Memorabilia
 TeamStore

Chat Reel: Mike Bibby

Grizzlies guard cheers for 'Cats, will take move in stride

CNNSI Host: Welcome to today's chat with Vancouver's Mike Bibby. Welcome Mike and thanks for joining us.
Mike Bibby: Thanks, glad to be here.

From Rob in Tucson, Ariz.: Do you have much time to follow Arizona basketball, and what is your take on the ability of the Arizona team this year?
Mike Bibby: I watch every time I get a chance. I'm still friends with some of the guys on the team. I call when I am going to be out there and we talk on the phone.

From Jeff Armstead in Regina, Saskatchewan: You seem to have started to wear a wristband this season. Does it have anything to do with superstition?
Mike Bibby: I wasn't shooting that well and my brother told me to go back to my days at Arizona. I wore one when I was at Arizona, and I just put one back on. It's comfortable.

From J. McCarthy in Kensington, Md.: Do you think that this current Arizona team is as good as the national championship team that you played on? And do you think they have a shot at beating Michigan St.?
Mike Bibby: Yes, I think they'll beat MSU. You can't say who is better -- us or them. They're playing well together right now and that's what you need.

From Ron Higgins in Memphis, Tenn.: Mike, tomorrow is Vancouver's first game back home since it was announced the team will likely move to Memphis. What type of reaction do you expect from the crowd? And how do you feel about a move to Memphis? Do you think the team will benefit from a fresh start in a new city?
Mike Bibby: We really don't know how the move will make a difference. We'll just have to see once the team moves.

From devo: Mike, who do you pattern your point guard skills after?
Mike Bibby: I just try to be myself. I don't pattern myself after anybody. I just go out there and try to get the job done, not be too fancy.

From bracket_king: Mike Bibby, if you could play with any other player in the NBA today who would you play with?
Mike Bibby: My teammates that I am playing with right now. I'm not worried about anybody else.

From Dan Murphy in Vancouver, B.C.: Mike, I admire you a lot and thank you for your perseverance under unfair criticism here in Vancouver. I am a friend of former Arizona assistant and Louisiana Lafayette head coach Jessie Evans. I would like to know of his influence over you personally and Jessie's influence on the success of the Arizona basketball program?
Mike Bibby: He was one of the main reasons I went to Arizona. He recruited me hard and I became friends with his son. He had a big influence. He has a laid back feeling about him.

From Stephen Fung in New York City: How did you feel right before the 1997 NCAA championship game? What did coach Lute Olson say to the players before the game?
Mike Bibby: That was a long time ago -- I can't remember. It was a spur of the moment thing. It was just a once in a lifetime chance.

From TpC2KA: Does the relocation of the franchise increase the likelihood that players both on the team now and on other teams will want to play for the team, if it moves to an American market?
Mike Bibby: That's really not for me to say. I can't speak for anybody else. I'll have to see how it goes.

From Lsufan: Hey, Mike, I'm a big LSU fan. I was wondering about Stromile Swift. Is he improving and do you think he'll be as good as he was suppose to be coming out of college?
Mike Bibby: He's improving everyday. Mike Dickerson and I took him under our wing. His talent is unbelievable. It'll take some getting used to for him to play at this level. It's just a matter of time.

From bnvi: Mike, what do you think is the most important thing this Arizona team must concentrate on to win the title this year?
Mike Bibby: Playing together. They've done a good job playing together as of late -- they just have to keep doing it.

From Jeff Armstead in Regina, Saskatchewan: Is there any significance to the chain linked cross tattoo you have on your arm? Is it covering the "Bibby" you had there before, or did you have that one removed?
Mike Bibby: Yes, it's covering the one I had there before. I'm religious person and I wanted a cross. My uncle drew the one I have now.

From Brad: How difficult is it for a guard to make the transition, and what are the major differences from college guard to NBA guard?
Mike Bibby: First of all, there's 82 games instead of 30 or 35. That's the first thing -- playing so many games and the travel and being by yourself. There aren't team meals or anything. It may be hard for the kids when they first come in the league, being by themselves on the road.

From PowerD: Who do you look up to? Is it hard to be a Christian in the NBA?
Mike Bibby: I look up to my mom and my brothers. They've helped me through everything, My mom mostly. Growing up, I didn't want to do extra work. But my mom took me everywhere I needed to be and forced me to work extra and that has made me the hard worker I am today.

From tgrizz: What is one positive thing that you can take out of this 2000-01 season?
Mike Bibby: Our team has taken some steps forward, and it'll take some time for us to get some wins. But we're playing well together and that's a start.

CNNSI Host: That's all the time we have today with Mike Bibby. Mike, thanks for joining us.
Mike Bibby: Thank you -- and I'll be rooting on Arizona!

Copyright © 2001 CNN/Sports Illustrated An AOL Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines.