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Chat with Mike Bibby
Welcome to The Show! On Tuesday, Sacramento King Mike Bibby will stop by to take your questions!
Bibby is the on-court leader of the Sacramento Kings, the hometown team of the Basketballtown Pharaohs, the 8-and-under youth basketball team featured in the latest installment of the Growing Up NEXT series.
One of the top guards in the NBA, Bibby averaged 6.8 assists and a career-high 19.6 points last season. Each summer he holds a Mike Bibby Basketball Academy for kids in his hometown of Phoenix. He is also on the advisory council for the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA, a network of 1,500 youth basketball leagues around the country that offers support and instructional materials for coaches, kids and parents.
Send your questions and comments now and join Mike in The Show on Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET.
Mike Bibby: I'm here. Questions?
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Jeff, Charlotte N.C.: Hello Mike, Congratulations on a great career thus far, keep up the good work. As for my question: How involved are you in your hometown community or basketball community? How do you handle such responsibility of giving back to youth? Thanks for your time.
Mike Bibby: I give a camp that is free for kids. I'm not out there a lot but I try to give back, mostly in Sacramento, because I'm here most of the year.
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Adam, New York: How much influence has your dad had on your game?
Mike Bibby: Growing up, being around basketball all the time, I just wanted to be like your dad. I guess it was just in my blood. That's how I figured out what I wanted to do with my life.
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Marcus: What do you think about 8-year-olds playing for national championships?
Mike Bibby: I think it's good. If you get competitive at that age, that's fine. I started when I was like 12, though. Growing up, for me, was a lot of fun. Basketball for me was all about making fun, until I went to college. It's really up to the person, though. The most important thing is to have fun. If you're not having fun, there's really no point in playing.
Tom Farrey: What is the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA and what are its goals?
Mike Bibby: It's been a while since I did anything with them. I just did a little work on the West Coast, talking to kids, stuff like that.
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Iman, Knoxville TN: How much better, if any, do you think these kids are compared to when you were eight? Thank you for your time, Mike!
Mike Bibby: You'll always have phenomenal kids. Now there's more competitive basketball going on than in the old days. But I wouldn't say that on the whole they're any better than they were in the past. They just have more exposure now. I will say that as time goes on, it seem like the kids get better. The kids in high school are looking like men -- only a few guys looked like men when I was coming up. But I don't think they're any better.
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Phil, Sacramento: Hi there Mike! How do you feel about the moves made this offseason, especially being reunited with Shareef? Also, do you think Bonzi can come in and play Kings (team) ball?
Mike Bibby: I think so. It wears off, once you come in here -- the passing. Everyone passes here. You always miss the guys who get traded, but that's an opportunity to make new friends, too. I think Shareef will be all right.
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Luke, Brea CA: If you could teach a little kid something to improve his/her dribbling skills, what would it be? Thanks for your time.
Mike Bibby: Just dribble with your head up. Maybe use two balls to get both hands equally developed.
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Eric, Sacramento: Do you think the Kings have the best starting line up in the leauge this year?
Mike Bibby: I don't know. We'll have to see how we play together. On paper we look good.
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Matt, Milwaukee: Do you think Peja will be in Sacramento after this season?
Mike Bibby: I don't know. I don't make those decisions.
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Webster, TX: Who is your favorite guard in the NBA today?
Mike Bibby: Me! I can't give anyone the upper hand on me, that's for sure. You like to watch people -- I like to watch Jason Kidd, Stephon Marbury, Allen Iverson.
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Akbar, Toronto, Ontario : Which team in the Eastern Conference poses the greatest challenge to your team and the rest of the Western Conference ?
Mike Bibby: There are a couple good teams. In the West, San Antonio's always good. Seattle. Dallas. Phoenix. You could go all the way down the line. Every night's going to be a challenge, really. In the East, there's Miami. Indiana is always tough. New York's going to be all right.
Tom Farrey: If you change one thing about youth basketball in the U.S., what would it be?
Mike Bibby: I don't know. I think maybe the coaches could work a little bit more on teaching these kids basketball fundamentals, so guys would learn things. Right now, too many people are spending too much time trying to make the big plays instead of just playing good, fundamental basketball.
Tom Farrey, moderator: Mike has left the room. Thanks for your questions, and thanks to Mike for joining us.
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