Posted: March 9, 2009 In his ninth season out of LSU, forward/center Stromile Swift signed with the Suns after clearing waivers last Tuesday. The former No. 2 overall draft pick, known for his athleticism and shotblocking ability, sat down with Suns.com to talk a little bit more about his opportunity here in Phoenix.
Suns.com: What are your thoughts on coming to play in Phoenix?
Stromile Swift: It’s a lot different than living in New Jersey. When I left it was 20-something degrees. When I got here, it was 80. As far as joining the team, I’m excited and happy to be here. I’m looking forward to helping us make a push into the playoffs.
Suns.com: Do you have any good memories about playing here in the past?
Swift: About four or five years ago, when I was playing for the Grizzlies, we played the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs. We had some pretty good games, some pretty close games. They swept us that series, but it was a pretty good experience for me and I enjoyed playing here.
Suns.com: How do you feel you’ll be able to help the team?
Swift: The team is already athletic. I think I can bring a little more of that to the team with my shotblocking, my ability to get up and down the floor and using my presence to change the game. I believe I can make an impact doing that.
Suns.com: Do you have any existing relationships with any of the guys on the team? Don’t you have an LSU connection with Shaq?
Swift: I met Shaq when I was 19 years-old and it was my first year in college. We’ve been cool ever since. When I was in college, he used to come back when he was going back to school and we used to play pick-up. So we had a chance to hang out a little bit.
Suns.com: Do you have any funny Shaq stories?
Swift: He’s been like that forever. There are so many I can’t really think of one off of the top of my head.
Suns.com: Having played with Brook Lopez in New Jersey and now having played a little bit with Robin Lopez here, what are some of the similarities and differences that you’ve noticed between the two players?
Swift: I was just telling everyone the other day that they look so much alike, they sound alike it’s amazing. Just being around them, they’re the same, but they’re different. I think Robin is a little bit quieter than Brook. Brook is kind of outgoing and jokes around more than Robin.
Suns.com: How about their respective games?
Swift: Brook might be a little more polished offensively, but Robin plays really hard, rebounds the ball and is aggressive. I think they will both turn out to be pretty good players.
Suns.com: You’re known for having made hand signals after you dunk. What was the meaning behind that?
Swift: It’s been a while since I’ve done that. It started back in high school. A couple of guys on my team used to do it. I started to get more exposure and I started to go off to different camps where I played on TV. So the guys back home told me that if I got a dunk or something I should throw up a sign to represent my hometown. Ever since I started doing that, it started catching on and once I got to college at LSU, I started doing it and the fans started doing it. I just kept it going from there.
Suns.com: So it doesn’t mean anything particularly symbolic?
Swift: No.
Suns.com: What is the best basketball moment of your life?
Swift: Probably playing in my first game in the NBA. We were playing against Seattle and I knew I was there - but I couldn’t believe that I was there. I was playing against Patrick Ewing that year that he played in Seattle. My adrenaline was going, I was pumped, I was ready to go out there and play and I think I scored about 16 points in my first preseason game. So it was a pretty good experience for me.
Suns.com: Was there a certain player that you looked up to growing up?
Swift: I really started getting serious about basketball in seventh or eighth grade. I used to watch Shaq and Chris Jackson (now Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) at LSU. Ever since then I’ve really been psyched about playing and after seeing them, I really wanted to go to LSU. As a pro, I think my favorite player was Hakeem Olajuwon.
Suns.com: What attracted you the most to Phoenix when you bought out by New Jersey?
Swift: Phoenix was the first team I was aware of that wanted to sign me. I thought it was a great opportunity for me and I wanted to take advantage of it.
Suns.com: How have the struggles that you’ve gone through this year helped you become a better player and a teammate for the Suns?
Swift: It’s been a really, really rough year for me. These days I just try to take it one day at a time. I have been down for about two months, not really feeling like being around people, playing ball or anything. But once I got back into playing with a team and being around the guys and playing basketball, it gave me a getaway to get my minds off of things. When I got here, the guys welcomed me with open arms. Everybody seems like good guys here, so I’m looking forward to building better relationships, playing and getting wins.
Suns.com: What sort of expectations did the team give you as far as your role here?
Swift: I talked to Coach Gentry and he said, ‘We’re going to get you ready. We need you. Just come in, play hard and play basketball.’ That’s what I intend to do.
Suns.com: You’ve had just a short amount of time to become adjusted to this offense and style of play. Do you feel comfortable in this offense and do you think you’ll be able to shine when given the opportunity?
Swift: I’m getting there. I know we only have about 19 games left but I think I catch on fast and once I’m out there I’m going to give it all I got and play hard.
Suns.com: How hard was it to join a team on the road?
Swift: It was weird but it wasn’t that hard. I met the team in Miami and the next morning they had a walk-through for the game the next day. It wasn’t as bad as I’d thought it would be.
Suns.com: Is this the perfect NBA offense to play in?
Swift: I think a lot of guys watch it from the outside-in and would love to play in a system like this. By looking at it from the outside, I jumped at the chance to play in this offense with the guys they have here like Steve (Nash), Amar’e (Stoudemire), Shaq and Grant Hill. Those guys make guys around them better and I just want to be one of those guys that can play with them.
Suns.com: Is it harder to pick up the offense than it appears from the outside?
Swift: You have to be in great shape because they like to get out and run for the whole game. I believe other players can respect that because they know what it takes to come here and play. You have to be in great shape to come and play here.
Suns.com: What was your plan for coming here? Was it to stick with the Suns or to showcase yourself for another team for next year?
Swift: A little bit of both. I wanted to come and show people that I can still play and that I’m still here. I’ve just been going through some rough times this past year, but I can still play ball. I can come here and help this team get some wins and make a push for the playoffs and hopefully I’ll be able to come back again next year.
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