Rashard Lewis was surrounded by controversy this offseason after testing positive for a banned substance. The substance, DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone), a substance that isn’t bad in every professional sport and can be found in many over the counter supplements. Rashard Lewis says that taking the substance was a mistake and I believe him. He cleared this situation up and touched on several other subjects during media day on Monday.
On getting himself out there like Dwight
"Not as much as he did. He was all over the place, doing a lot of commercials and movies and all types of stuff but I did a few small things here and there. I’m not superman so I’m just a small guy."
On his Nike commercial
"I had fun. I got my rap name – Ice-O, on my shoe because obviously the commercial was for the shoe. I had fun doing it and I think it helped the Orlando Magic get a little bit more publicity.I think the public knows who Rashard is now because we got to the finals. They saw what type of player and person Rashard Lewis is. Being in the commercial probably helped that out."
On if he considers PF his position
"I consider that my position now because I’ve played it here with the Magic and I think I’m going to continue to do it but at the same time, talking to coach, I will be playing a lot of the three so I have to learn both positions. I think we’re capable depending on who we’re playing against. If we’re playing a bigger team like the Celtics then maybe I’ll move to the three or if we’re playing a smaller team that likes to run up and down, I’ll play the four. We’re flexible.It all depends on the matchup with who I focus on."
On sitting out the first 10 games
"It’s not hard at all. Like I said, it’s only 10 games and that doesn’t make or break the season. I think our guys are talented enough and we have a coaching staff that’s good enough to hold the team down for those 10 games and I think we’ll still be one of the best teams in the league after those 10 games and my main is I want to make sure I’m in shape and on top of game so when I come back to not disrupt the rhythm, just kind of jump right in and keep flowing with the team."
If the suspension scared him off of supplements
"It just kind of lets you know that you can’t go to any Walgreens drug store or some store and pick up any type of vitamin because you never know what’s in it. I think if you do, you have to clear it with the trainers and the NBA because every year, there are always new things on the list. Everybody doesn’t read it so I think it’s most important to clear it with the trainers before you take it.I’m not taking nothing. I only drink water and I’m scared to take Advil. You never know what could happen."
On Stan Van Gundy
"I think we get used to it. We know what type of coach he is and now we know what to expect. When we step out on the floor, coach is going to scream and yell. I think guys know how to take it now, they don’t take it personally.It’s a long season, sometimes you get a little frustrated but if you tune him out, you can’t make it noticeable. But, don’t take it personal, that’s the main thing, you can’t take it personal. I’m sure you guys see him when he’s on the sideline, yelling, kicking chairs, that’s just his style of coaching. He tries to get across us that we just have to get out there and play basketball."
On the inside-outside game
"I don’t think it’ll change very much. Vince Carter is a great three-point shooter as well. We’ll still play the same style, run pick and rolls the same. They cancel each other out because Hedo’s a great player and so is Vince Carter and I think that we just added a better scorer to the team."
On how twitter has portrayed his personality
"I think it’s helped. It’s more for fan base, trying to build the fan base and be connected with the fans. I think they like the fact that they feel like they’re part of our lives by being on twitter and it helps a lot."
If the large player turnover surprised him
"It did surprise me. Usually when teams have success like that, they stick with the same guys, but obviously you never know about the business side of what’s going on upstairs. They’ve changed it around a lot and all we can do is work with the guys we have and I think we’ve obviously gotten better as a team."
His original reaction to the suspension
"I was talking to the NBA about it. They called me personally before it came out. I heard about it once before. Playing the Finals, I heard about it. Not necessarily the suspension, but about the drug test and everything. They worked with me and they pretty much knew what was going on. My main thing was to let the organization know and to let my teammates know before anything and I think those are the most important people. They support me, they’re behind me."
On if it’s a blessing in disguise because other players will get more time
"I don’t want to say it’s a blessing in disguise but it’ll give other guys an opportunity to play and get a chance to get out on the court, and see what our style of game is like and it will help us in the long run by getting guys out there in those 10 games and it’ll help us in the long run because they’re not the starters, but we’re going to need guys to come off the bench and help us win ballgames."
I’m very excited to see Rashard this season. He’s always been a very good player but his clutch shots in the playoffs have prepared him to take his game to an even higher level. He’s taken his suspension and he hasn’t complained. Just another team-first member of the Magic.
Next up: Marcin Gortat
(Andrew Melnick is Howard the Dunk’s lead blogger. Subscribe to his RSS feed and add him on Twitter to follow him daily.)