** Note: This is courtesy of Jiwol on RealGM**
Gortat recently gave a massive interview to one of Polish biggest newspapers. It's in Polish of course, but I'll try to translate as much as I can because it's worth it. Plenty insider info about NBA, the team and himself (Polish national team also, but I don't think you'd be interested). Hope you'll enjoy reading although my English is far from perfect... Here's the link:
link
"At the beginning I was out of rotation in Orlando. I felt coaches don't have confidence in me. But I played with many teammates in summer league and preseason and I wasn't that bad against them. So I ddn't lose my faith in myself. OK, maybe in the middle of the season I was on the verge of breaking down. I trained 5 times a day and I was good and during games I sat down in suit behind the bench. I had a feeling 20 thousand people was looking at me sitting in that suit. It wasn't easy but I waited it through. Almost every rookie has to experience it.
During treinings I somehow impressed. I had a bet with Patrick Ewing that I can dunk from the free throw line. I won. I also bet with Carlos Arroyo that I can win with him one on one and I won too. One time after training I showed soccer tricks and guys were surprized.
The reason I didn'y play was unsufficient physical preparation. I played every day against Dwight HOward I after one hour I had enough. His dominance and energy was too much for me. So I commited to working out at the gym. I trained vary hard 4 times a week. Sometimes after gym session I felt like going home but I have to stay for another part of the training. I was at the facility at 8:30 - one hour at the gym with different trainer to each exercise then almost an hour of individual traing of moves in the paint and shooting and finally regular work out with the team. Sometimes a swimming pool too. There were moments when I sat doown in the locker and I had convultions. i had to quckly eat fruit, take a bath, have a dinner. And then sleep.
Very helpful in gaining the weight was my mom's two months stay in Orlando. She cooked me a couple of meals daily, I gained 5 kg (11 pounds). But I wasn't fatter, just stronger. My fat level is 3,9%.
Thanks to bigger strength I looked better during tranings. Dwight had sometimes problems with me, he had to hustle more. I also overpowerd Adonal Foyle who I outplayed only with quickness before. 12 kg (26 pounds) I gained during the season gave me so much.
I debuted in the NBA on the March 1st. There were a couple of injuries in the team. I sat on the bench for New York Knicks game but I felt this was my time. I felt great. I entered the game in the finishing part and I scored my first points in the NBA. I went past Eddy Curry from the baseline. To be honest he was very tired then and I was fresh but the whole bench exploded, everybody was cheering. I was very happy. And my mom watched me from the stand.
First time I saw Shaquille O'Neal was before our preseason game with Miami Heat. We finished our treining and they begun. And I wanted to watch my former teammate from Geermany. I talked on the phone and was looking at the floor from behind the curtain. Suddenly Shaq run over to the near basket. He was as big as basket's construction. He saw me and let me know that during the game he will hurt me with his elbow. But in the end he didn't played. I still hadn't played against him.
I had a few funny stories. Before our first preseason game Jameer Nelson and Dwight told me to go out first from the locker and go to the floor. I did and they held the rest of the team in the corridor. So I ran out to the middle of the floor alone. 18 thousand people cheered and the guys were rolling from laughter. I had a red face but I felt I was part of the team.
During on of the charity events Dwight announced that one of the prizes will be a dance with rookie from Poland. Luckily a woman won it, not some guy. And she was kinda pretty. We danced to the theme from "Titanic". Some other time I had to sing "Happy Birthday" at Dwight's birthday party. And during three last months of the season I brought guys donuts, juices and papers. But when I started playing in the play-offs they relieved me from this duty.
Those are nice things, certainly not a humiliation. That's the role of rookie in the NBA and I was the only one on the team. Next season Courtney Lee is going to bring me tea to the locker.
Suddenly I started playing regularly. Only a few minutes but almost in every game. In the last game I had more time. I had 12 points and 10 rebounds, I showed I can play. I didn't count on playing in the play-offs though. I only wanted to be in the active roster. But I started playing! I was excited but also ready for everything. I wasn't afraid. What could have happened to me? The worst - playing against Dwight - I had in my own team. Nobody jumps higher, nobody is stronger, nobody is so dominating. There's no such other player in the world.
I had a hard time playing against Rasheed Wallace from Detroit Pistons. He shoots, he plays back and front to the basket, he's aggressive and also very ****y. Although he desregarded me and I scored some points on him. It dramatically improved my position in the team.
I knew my chance were those three minutes when I entered the floor for Dwight. I was to jump, run, defend, fight to death. The coach told me: rebound, block, disturb the rival. Try to keep the score without Dwight. I had defensive duties.
I could try to play in the offense but not at any price. But when I got the ball on my positions there were no possibility not to take advantage of it. I practised those moves for 8 months so I tried to do that during the game.
After a year in the NBA I grew up. I'm stronger and I can be dangerous not only under the basket because I can shoot better now from longer distance. I can learn from my mistakes and I'm ready to accept challenges - being a leader of national team or pushing Magic when I come off bench.
Trash talking? I can talk that way but I rarely do it. One time I entered the game for 3 seconds just to commit a foul. I asked Wallace: "Which way you're gonna run because I need to foul you?" And he was like: "Not your fcuking business, just play." So I played. There was a foul. But I try not to be ****y on the floor.
Detroit destroyed us in the Conference semifinals. It showed we had too short bench and Dwight limited himself. It wasn't about Pistons knowlegde how to play against him. Dwight sent us all text messages later taking the blame for losing the season. But it wasn't the whole truth.
Dwight is 23, he regulary scores 20 points and rebounds, he didn't have a break last 4 years and he dominates in every game. He's the only player in the world to do such things but you can't expect that he suddenly will take over a whole planet by himself. He needs a group of talented people around him.
Dwight is my mentor, but outside the floor. During practice it happens that it's me who has more remarks about his play then he about mine. But he can give me self confidence. I admire the man he is. He earns millions of dollars, you can see his face everywhere - from the beverage bottles to the biggest billboards in the city. He has a few cars, bodyguards but there's no gangsta feel around it, no gold chains and stuff. He's very nice man. You can talk with him about family, girls, computer games, cars. i heard different stories about Kobe Bryant, LeBron James or Kevin Garnett and there's really a huge difference between them and Dwight. Thanks to him we feel so much better in the team. He calls you back, send text messages, helps his teammates. He's not into partying and girls every day. Only thing he takes an interst in is basketball, maybe computer games.
I had a "garment deal" with him. It started from Jameer's father funeral. I put on the suit I bought three years ago, especcialy for the draft night. It didn't look that bad but when Dwight saw me he said: "Come to my place". I entered and he says: "Go to that room and pick from everything that is on the right hand side". I went in and felt like in the mall. I even didn't think what i took. I just took the stuff from the hangers and put it in my car. And I still get clothes from Dwight beacause it appeared that his clothes suit me perfectly. And as he probably spends hundred thousand of dollars on clothes so a lot stays for me. But it's probably going to change because I no longer will be a rookie.
Dwight's younger than me but in some sense he's like my older brother. Or maybe not, he's rather like cousin. Hedo Turkoglu is like my brother. I talk with him in Serbian on some serious issues. He takes care of me during the day and when we are on the road. Sometimes he tells me on the floor: "Today I'm exhausted. Look out, I will be passing you the ball". Dwight would never say that. After Poland's game with Italy when I scored 28 points he texed me: "Were the opponensts blind?"
Driving through Orlando you pass Tiger Woods', Vince Carter's, Shaq's and other stars' houses. I live in good neighbourhood outside of town, near the lake. I have 5 rooms, 4 bathrooms, and a garage for 2 cars. But I only have one car - BMW M5 - the best it could be.
I feel very good in this kind of surroundings. It's obvious that having money, beautiful house, nice car gives me more and more respect. Now it's all on me how I will deal with it. I'll never forget people thanks to who I'm here (...).
We practice once a day so I have much free time. There were players in the NBA who didn't use it properly and now they are out of the league. I took Spanish lessons, I invest in real estate and some , othher things my brother takes care of. But there's always time for fun - PWC's, paintball, shooting range , meetings with friends, cinema. Parties? I would lie saying there are no parties. But it's all in team's elders jurisdiction. If they decide we go out, I can't say no. Sometimes I have to go, unfortunately.
I see no marujuana in the locker during the season. We have tests 4 times a season and the penalties are so severe that even the stupidest players give up on it. I don't know what they do during the offseason. I was never into it. I don't drink alcohol either. I work so hard for the whole year to get into good shape and I don't wanna lose it because of stupid fun. But I know it's good to drink a glass of wine during the supper. Just for health.
We are one of two NBA teams whith its own plane. Comfortable seats, a screen for everyone, fruit bar, a cook, everything's perfect. Although one time our engine started to burn and we had to make emegrency landing. I didn't panicked because I was sleeping and didn't know what's going on.
A couple of my first chacks had no value. Tax here, rate for a house there and I was left with 2 thousand dollars. Now it's better. And a intersting thing. NBA runs a investment fund for players. Everybody pays in 15 thousand a year, the league pays another 15 thousand. After you turn 50 you can get 3 million dollars.
Dollar is losing it's worth but I don't pay attention. I'm not playing for money. If I did I would go to Barcelona or Benetton Treviso. I like Orlando very much. The situation in which I have to change the franchise next year would be extremely difficult for me. But if Orlando offer me million dollar per season and ie. Atlanta Hawks half as much, I'd stay here because I feel great. But if the Magic don't appreciate my work and offer me the same wage as now I can chose a better offer from different franchise. Unfortunately.
On the other hand I realize I'll have to leave Orlando. I simply have no intention of being Dwight's substitute for the rest of my career. And I'm never gonna get in front of him in the rotation.
One of my dreams is to become the best Polish player ever. The closer dreams are to gain a strong position as a backup in Orlando, medal at European Championship then a spot in the starting lineup in the NBA. It's plenty hard work.
Do I feel like a star? Certainly not. But somethings happening around me lately. I feel a regular human being - I eat, drink water, practise, sleep 8 hour a day. Playing in the NBA and good games in the national team are only about my hard work. And every good game gives me more confidence. I feel confident.
My shortcomings? First: I need to make a mistake like 20 times to make a conclusion and learn something out of it. Secondly: I easily get prejudiced towards people. Trainer's assistant in the gym said something stupid about Polish people and I know that on next occasion I'll do everything to make his life miserable. And I know it's bad. Thirdly: I drive to fast. It happens that I drive 310 km\h when I shouldn't drive more than 90. It's total stupidity. And I still have too much bad habits on the floor.
orlandomagiczone.com 
