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5 minutes with ... Sam Cassell
We caught up with 38-year-old Los Angeles Clippers point guard Sam Cassell, who was with the Suns during part of Steve Nash's rookie NBA season:
Question: How much longer are you going to do this, Sam?
Answer: "Next year is it. I'm still having fun with it, and I can still contribute. But, some days are better than others."
Q: What's next?
A: "I'm gonna coach. I have a couple of guys that are head coaches in the league now who understand the passion I have for doing this. I'm going to grab me an opportunity to be on a staff and just learn, and one day, I hope to be a head coach. I'm not going to be an assistant coach for 15 years, now. I'm not doing that."
Q: Why do you want to coach?
A: "It's not about the money. I'm financially stable. It's about the passion and love I have for this."
Q: What coaches have you talked to?
A: "(Denver coach) George Karl, Flip Saunders in Detroit. I've talked to some general managers. I've had frequent conversations with (Washington Wizards President) Ernie Grunfeld. They understand my mentality. I can take a young point guard and give them encouragement and the (benefit of) experience. There isn't a situation you can present to me that I haven't been through. I've been down 3-1 going on the road (in the playoffs), and I've been up 3-1. Every situation is different, and I've been through all of them."
Q: What is your impression of the Suns this season?
A: "They're always one of the best spacing ballclubs. That paint is always open. There's no guys sitting on the post. Never. That makes it really difficult to play them as a guard."
Q: Do you think they're easier to play than they were a few years ago?
A: "Teams eventually catch up to what you're doing, but you still have to have a lot of firepower to play with those guys."
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