Aldridge on Shaq influence, growing with the Blazers

MANILA, Philippines – LaMarcus Aldridge has had a stellar nine-year NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers so far, averaging 19.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.0 block per game to go with four All-Star appearances and a pair of All-NBA Third Team awards.

Once upon a time, Aldridge was looked at as the third best player to Portland’s version of a Big Three with Brandon Roy and Greg Oden, whose careers diminished due to injuries, that was supposed to carry the franchise. But a few years later, it’s clear Aldridge is the face of a Trail Blazers team that currently owns a 44-25 record – a contender not just in the competitive Western Conference, but also for an NBA championship.

But Aldridge’s career, which is currently on-pace for an entry into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, could have taken a much different path had he not played US NCAA Division I college basketball for Texas from 2004-2006.

READ: Aldridge: ‘I feel like I’m the best power forward’ in NBA

Aldridge originally planned to join the NBA Draft straight out of high school in 2004, but thanks to some advice from NBA legend and four-time champion Shaquille O’Neal, the 6-foot-11 big man out of Dallas, Texas, elected to stay in his home state a couple more years to improve his game.

“He was definitely a big part of my going to school,” Aldridge told the international media about O’Neal during a telephone interview on Tuesday, March 23. “[Because] I was going to the NBA out of high school, and I was trying to do that, but he told me to just go for one year (in college), enjoy the experience, have time to grow up.”

“So he was very vital in my decision of going to school, he gave me valuable advice on going to school and saying it’d be an experience that I’d never forget. That it would also give me a chance to grow up, without having to be in the real world, with a job. I thank him for that; he was definitely big in that part of my career.”

Aldridge, who was a McDonald’s All-American in 2004, spent two years with the Longhorns, averaging 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds a game. He was also named the Big-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2006 along with being part of the First Team All-Big 12.

Under Head Coach Rick Barnes and led by Aldridge, Texas made it to the NCAA tournament in both his seasons, but managed to get only as far as the Elite Eight round. The highly-coveted big man left after the 2006 season, just a year before future NBA MVP Kevin Durant played his freshman year with the Longhorns.

Many say that had Aldridge stayed another season to team up with Durant, the duo would have had a great shot to win the NCAA title in 2007.

“I don’t regret it,” Aldridge said about leaving after his sophomore year. “You have to leave when it’s your time. At that moment I was the possible number one, number two pick. So I played well, I had a great season. I think as a college student, you have to leave when it’s your time, when it’s the best time for when your draft stock. That was my best time.”

Aldridge was right – he was picked second overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2006 NBA Draft, but was right away shipped to Portland for Tyrus Thomas, who’s no longer in the NBA, and Victor Khryapa, who played a total of only 42 games with the Bulls through two NBA seasons.

Portland also used the 2006 Draft to select Roy, who averaged 16.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4 assists a game to win Rookie of the Year. Roy averaged 35.4 minutes a contest in his first season with the Trail Blazers, while Aldridge put up just 9 points and 5 rebounds in 22.1 minutes a game.

The lack of playing time early in his career made Aldridge think about how his situation would have been different had the Bulls not traded him, he admits:

“Yeah, in my early years when I didn’t play as much I definitely wondered if I would have played more with the Bulls and how my career could have went.”

“But I’ve been with Portland so long now,” he added. “I’ve kind of made my mark on the franchise, so I don’t really think about it as much anymore. I feel like I’ve been blessed to be here. I’ve grown and become a really good player here. I don’t do it anymore but I would say, yes, in the beginning I did.”

Aldridge has been slient about his plans following this NBA season as he becomes an unrestricted free agent, and sustained his position while talking to the media, hoping to instead concentrate on leading his squad to a deep playoff run.

“I’m not going to get into that now,” he said about free agency. “I’m going to cross that bridge and I’ll try to finish this great season then handle all of that in the off season.”

Other excerpts from the interview with LaMarcus Aldridge

On whom he patterned his game after:

“I studied three guys when I was coming up. I studied Tim Duncan. I like his demeanor on the floor and his basketball savy-ness. I studied Kevin Garnett, for his jumpshot and his competitiveness, and I studied Rasheed Wallace for his high release that’s why I have the fade away.”

On which teammates he had a really good chemistry with:

“That’s tough. I think the players I probably meshed with the most was Brandon (Roy) because we played together longer. And then I’ll have to say Jamal Crawford and Andre Miller.”

“I think those are my top three players that I’ve really connected with on the floor, just offensively. Brandon and I played so long together that we ended up learning each other pretty well. And then Jamal was so gifted offensively that he would give me easy shots. And then Andre Miller was such a great passer that he would give me easy shots like lobs to the rim. So I would have to say those three guys.”

On playing for Team USA in the 2016 Olympics:

“I’m planning on being in Brazil. Unfortunately, I’ve had things happen where I couldn’t participate but it wasn’t anything against them. I’ve always wanted to play for the US Olympic team, but it’s always been bad timing. So the next Olympics I’m gonna definitely try to be there and be on that team. I’m looking forward to it.” – Rappler.com