Sports Radio Interviews

Tyler Hansbrough: Indiana’s My Kind Of Place

It’s hard to doubt Tyler Hansbrough after all the criticisms he’s thrown right back in people’s faces as a college player.  That being said, the man needs to expand his skill set (priority number one is a mid-range game), but what he’s got going for him is a tireless work ethic.  If he doesn’t evolve, he’ll have a long career as a role player, but again, who are any of us to doubt him?  He seems sincerely happy to be playing in Indianapolis – which doesn’t always happen with NBA players – and, he’s got a little crazy in him, so that always helps.  He’s fierce; I’m sure Larry Bird saw that same trait in himself as a player, so it likely played a large factor in the decision process.  Hansbrough joined 1070 The Fan to discuss why his parents were so happy with the selection, how he’ll be very comfortable with the Pacers, and how he deals with the haters.

You can’t be seriously excited to play in Indianapolis, can you?  You didn’t jump and down and say, ‘I’m going to Indiana!’

“Yeah, actually, it is like like that ’cause I’m a midwest guy, I got a lot of friends and family around here, and plus the organization’s pretty good.  So, I think I’m pretty lucky.”

On the moment he was selected:

“When they announced it, I got the thumbs up, said they were gonna take me; I was happy, I was with my family.  We all kinda jumped up and down, we were really excited.  I kinda felt that I was a Pacer and I was really thrilled.”

How angry does it make you that people keep doubting you and talking about the things you can’t do?

“Little bit, I’ve been hearing it my whole career.  Really, no one thought I was gonna be that good as a college player – being ‘Player Of The Year,’ and a national champ, so, I felt pretty good about my career.  Hopefully I can do the same thing at college over here at the next level.”

What was your parents reaction to you being selected by Indiana?

“My parents are really happy because my younger brother plays at Notre Dame, so they figure they can get kind of a 2-for-1 deal and kinda drive up to my games and kinda drive back to his.  So, they feel pretty lucky, so they’re pretty happy.”

Listen to Tyler Hansbrough on 1070 The Fan with Kravitz and Eddie

Tags: Basketball, Indiana Pacers, NBA, NBA Draft, North Carolina Tar Heels, Tyler Hansbrough