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NBA FINALS: SPURS v HEATJune 11, 2013Gary NealSAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: Game Three Miami Heat - 77 Q.  Hi, Gary. I would like to ask you to tell the story a little bit about how you made the Spurs in mini‑camp and having to postpone your honeymoon to go to Vegas and play in the summer league. Where were you planning to go on your honeymoon? Could you tell that story a little bit. GARY NEAL: I came back from Europe, finishing my third season in Europe. My agent told me the Spurs had some interest in me. So I came here for some mini‑camps. I was able to play well enough to get invited to the summer league. The mini‑camp for summer league was the same time that I was getting married. I had to kind of just smooth it over with my wife. We were going to go Atlantis for a week for our honeymoon. She decided it would be a good thing if we went to Vegas instead, so I could make an NBA push. I was able to play well enough in the summer league that the Spurs offered me a deal two or three days after summer league was over. Q. Where did you stay in Vegas? GARY NEAL: I don't remember. It was totally a business trip. Totally. Q. Gary, your minutes have really ramped up in The Finals. Was it difficult at all with your minutes getting reduced during the playoffs? How did you keep the faith? And did Pop say anything to you before The Finals that there was a particular matchup you liked, et cetera? GARY NEAL: Not really. As a professional, it's your job to stay ready. You never know when your number is going to be called. You don't know anything. So you have to come into the gym and continue to get your reps up and continue to prepare yourself for whatever assignment the coach decides to play you in. The last three games in The Finals I've been a steady rotation guy. I'm just thankful that I was able to stay mentally and physically ready for this opportunity that I could take advantage of it. Q. Gary, when you were in Treviso in 2009, 2010, in your own mind what was the best‑case scenario for your career at that point? GARY NEAL: Honestly, I was comfortable with the financial situation in Italy. With me getting married and wanting to start a family, I kind of wanted to be in the States. I never had a crack at the NBA. I never had a chance at the NBA. I never played summer league, never did a mini‑camp or anything. So when the opportunity came knocking, I said you know, I'll try. Hopefully I'll be able to make the best of it, and I was able to make the best of it. But I think I wanted to come back to the States because I wanted to start my family. So I think that played a big role in me trying out with the Spurs. Q. Did you believe from the get‑go that you could you play in the NBA? GARY NEAL: Yeah. I think to play this game of basketball, you have to believe that your abilities are just as good as other guys. I mean, I felt like I had the ability to play in the NBA. It was just a matter of just getting the right opportunity. And through the grace of God I was able to get the opportunity through the Spurs. Q. Tim Duncan agreed earlier that it's a great story of perseverance seeing you and Danny Green. He was cut three times, you undrafted. Stepping up in The Finals. What's it like? You guys‑‑ usually The Finals are superstars. You guys stepping up. GARY NEAL: It's a dream come true. Me and Danny both went through a lot of stuff together. We were guys that showed up two hours before practice start to get shots up and to prove to the coaching staff that we belong, and we're going to do whatever we need to do to get minutes. Danny has been great. He's been a starter since pretty much since he signed the contract here. He's helped us. And we kind of help each other. We kind of play the same position. We kind of have the same role. We feed off Tony and Manu. So me and Danny, we were able to play great tonight. But we really feed off each other. Our positive energy. Q. Gary, was tonight the first time that you guys feel that you had them finally chasing the ball as opposed to being out in front of the rotations? GARY NEAL: Yeah, the ball movement was great today. Especially after the way we performed in Game 2. They were able to make us play in a crowd. They were extremely aggressive, extremely physical. We knew coming into Game 3, we knew we had to move the ball. We were able to move it and get open shots and be able to get our feet set. So I give Tony and Manu a whole bunch of credit. They are the dominant ball‑handlers in the system. They did a great job of facilitating tonight. And me and Danny were recipients of good ball movement. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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