Red Bull Midnight Run made it’s way to New Orleans on Friday, August 2. As one of five new cities competing in 2013, New Orleans’ best players battled on the court to prove themselves worthy of taking part in the final Red Bull Midnight Run competition at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis assisted the scouting crew in picking the right players to represent the Big Easy. Davis took a break in the action to talk about what he’s been doing to get ready for the upcoming season.
[RELATED: Red Bull Midnight Run Takes Over New Orleans]
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Dime: First off, tell us a little bit about what brought you out here tonight.
Anthony Davis: I’m here at Red Bull Midnight Run representing New Orleans, and I’m just trying to find seven or eight guys that would be the best fit to represent the city in the Midnight Run finals at the Barclays Center this winter.
Dime: What do you think about competitions like these that pit cities versus each other?
AD: I think it’s a real creative way to find out what city has the best talent. Obviously, NBA guys can’t suit up, but it would be really interesting if we could. If they had had that sort of thing for us, I would have loved to represent Chicago on the basketball court.
I love what Red Bull is doing with Midnight Run because you’re not just out here playing for a prize, you’re out here to represent your city. When it comes to basketball, people take pride in their city. So to lay it all on the line and play for bragging rights, I think it’s a great idea, and it’s great for the game.
Dime: Would you say Chicago has the best talent out of any other city?
AD: Most definitely—that’s where I became the player I am now. Obviously I’m biased towards Chicago, but I still think we have the best talent basketball-wise. Being from Chicago, I’ve seen tons of great players come before me. We have so much history there with basketball that it’s hard for me to say any other city has better players.
Dime: After Chicago, what city do you think has the best talent?
AD: That’s a real tough question. When you play at the highest level, there are players from all over the place on these teams. Whether it was the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) or high school ball, every team has players from all over the place. New York and the DMV are both pretty talented cities, but it’s tough because now there are talented players coming from all over.
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Dime: What have you been working on this summer?
AD: I’ve really been trying to do a bit of everything. There’s no one thing that I’ve been focusing all my time on. I’ve just been trying to enhance my overall game and get better in all areas. I think if you focus on one thing too much you may start slacking in other areas, so I just try to keep my game polished across the board and continue to get better in all areas.
Dime: You played really well in the USA scrimmage this month. Are you excited to keep moving forward with USA Basketball?
AD: Absolutely, it’s always great to be on the same court with the best players in our league. I played pretty well in the game but that doesn’t mean I’ll get selected. If I do get selected for the team I’ll be more than happy to be a part of it again.
Dime: What’s next for Anthony Davis?
AD: Right now, just getting better everyday. Focusing on staying healthy, staying in shape, working hard and just getting ready to do big things next year. I want to really take my game to the next level, so I’ve just been trying to get better and improve my game across the board.
How good will Davis be next season?
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