Many are already calling last weekend’s Slam Dunk Contest one of the most overhyped in years. Can we place any of the blame with Kenneth Faried? Probably not. He was quietly solid, and had a couple of dunks (speaking of the Statue of Liberty, off-the-glass 360) that were severely slept-on.
I had a chance to sit down with the Denver Nuggets forward on Saturday afternoon of All-Star Weekend in the adidas hospitality suite. The “Manimal” was fresh off his coming-out party the night before at the BBVA Rising Stars game, and took time to provide some insight into his upbringing and current success.
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Dime: You did work last night, man: 40 points and 10 rebounds in the BBVA Rising Stars game and you took home the MVP. Is that the most points you ever scored in a game?
Kenneth Faried: It’s the most points I’ve ever scored in my life!
Dime: Even considering high school or middle school?
KF: I didn’t score over 30 in my life. I always got to 29 or 28, I couldn’t hit free throws. There was many a time I could have scored 40-plus or 30-plus but I couldn’t make free throws.
Dime: You are from Jersey, right?
KF: Yeah man, Newark, born and raised.
Dime: Tell me a little bit about being a baller growing up in the Northeast.
KF: You got to have heart, some grit, and some toughness. Playing in them playgrounds ain’t no joke. Guys know how to play. Usually guys out there have the killer crossover, not rebounding. I picked up the rebounding skill from playing out there watching the guys trying to bang with me. I was a skinny scrawny kid and I just picked up that aggression and that anger.
Dime: What were some of the courts you played at up there that stood out?
KF: I used to play at Weekway Park that was basically across the street from me. Lincoln Park, that was by my father’s house in Jersey City. Bergen Park and some in New York too. I never played at the Rucker though.
Dime: You never played at the Ruck?
KF: Yeah I know it’s the craziest thing. Or in The Cage.
Dime: I am sure you are trying to get out there soon, right?
KF: Yeah maybe this summer in one of the tournaments or something. We’ll see what happens.
Dime: Growing up were you interested in other sports?
KF: I was interested in other sports but I didn’t pursue them like I did basketball. I just love basketball and I loved the passion of the older guys I watched when I was younger. I mean I was a huge Knicks fan.
Dime: Who from those Knicks teams when you were growing up did you follow?
KF: Charles Oakley, that guy just amazed me. Then I was silently a Rodman fan. I didn’t really say too much about that.
Dime: Why silently?
KF: Because everybody was like Rodman… he’s weird this, that and (the) third. The dresses and stuff he used to wear. But I am basketball fan, I love basketball. I love the passion he brought. I mean he wasn’t afraid to guard anybody or go against anybody. He guarded Shaq for Christ’s sake when he was in his prime. Huge! But I just loved the way Rodman showed grit and toughness.
Keep reading to hear about who influenced Faried as a child…
Dime: You talked about who influenced you on the court. Who has influenced you personally off the court?
KF: Of course my mom and my dad. My mother, you know I watched her. The tough minded woman she is. Basically she did all the things for me to help me succeed in this life. And watching my father do the same thing it was just amazing. And back to my mother, she’s a lesbian and was with another woman. The other woman, basically she’s my mother too and she was strong also. So I just had three strong people around me to really help me reach where I’m at.
Dime: Recently you spoke out against some anti-gay comments. What does that cause mean to you?
KF: Yeah, I’m an Athlete Ally. It means a lot to me. It’s a strong point of view for me. I just want everybody to have equal rights and equal opportunity.
Dime: What do your coaches say about your hustle? You have that nickname “Manimal.” Where does it all come from?
KF: My coaches basically tell me that my energy and effort is infectious to the team and what I do on the court you can’t teach. They admire that and they love that. Regarding everything else and my “Manimal” nickname, I got it from a guy named Makhtar (N’Diaye). He used to play in the league actually. He went to North Carolina. A big man. Everybody was calling in to the agency (where N’Diaye now works) saying he’s a beast, he’s an animal, he’s a man and all this crazy stuff. He was like “Yo, we are going to call you ‘Manimal'” and from there on out, it just stuck.
Dime: Does the nickname follow you off the court? Meaning are you as aggressive off the court as you are on it?
KF: Nah. Off the court actually I’m just chill. Like how we’re talking right now, I’m a real laid back dude. I know how to enjoy myself, but at the same time I know how to keep it mellow. I don’t really like attention. I like to stay to myself.
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How good can Faried become?
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