Throwback: Four Questions With Kyle Anderson

By David Cordova

Preface

This interview on San Antonio Spurs forward Kyle Anderson was originally featured on Gotham Hoops in the summer of 2015.

An Interview With…….Kyle Anderson

When people think of a point guard, they think of someone that’s at least 5-8 to 6-1. However, there has always been those guards that have had plenty of size and have been able to dominate over smaller opponents. Enter Kyle Anderson.

Anderson, a 6-9 forward for the San Antonio Spurs, has always been able to make plenty of noise from the guard position. He was ranked as the No. 1 player as a country as a 12-year-old and led his AAU team, the Long Island Lightning (now known as the New York Lightning, to two AAU national championships as a middle schooler.

In high school, Anderson was dominant in his position at Paterson Catholic and later perennial national powerhouse St. Anthony, which he led to two state championships and a combined 65-0 record through his junior and senior seasons. Anderson was also a member of the 2012 McDonald’s All-American team and also made an appearance at the Jordan Brand Classic. He also finished his high school career as the No. 5 in the Class of 2012’s ESPN Top 100 rankings. Throughout his four years of high school at both Paterson Catholic and St. Anthony, his teams had a 119-6 record.

-d60d9a94bdafb9f7 — Anderson trying to work on offense against Boys & Girls’ Malik Nichols during his junior year at St. Anthony’s in the 2011 SNY Invitational. (Photo courtesy of NJ Advance Media)

Anderson then played collegiate basketball at UCLA, where he averaged 9.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists in his freshman year. But in his sophomore year, he posted even better statistics with 14.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists, which led to him being named to the All-Pac 12 First Team. He then decided to forgo his final two years of collegiate eligibility to enter the NBA Draft, in which he was drafted No. 30 overall to the Spurs.

maxresdefault — Anderson during his days as a UCLA Bruin. (Photo courtesy of UCLA Athletics)

It hasn’t been an easy road for Anderson as he had been sent back & forth to the NBA’s Development League. However, this summer, he played very well in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, in which he was named the MVP after averaging 22.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals and made the Summer League’s First Team. Anderson has very promising skills and will continue to develop even more as the years go by.

Here’s our Q & A with Kyle Anderson (The interview was conducted at the St. Anthony Basketball Camp at the C.E.R.C in Jersey City, NJ):

What does it feel like coming back to the St. Anthony Basketball Camp?

It feels good. I remember being in these kids’ position. It feels good to come back to help kids, I know that’s always impacted my life.

How did you feel about playing in the NBA Summer League and winning the MVP?

I think that’s a step in the right direction. I had goals on what to do in the summer league. Not necessarily doing well, but learning how to play Spurs basketball. I think I got that done, so I was really happy with this award more than any other.

What are your goals for the upcoming season with the Spurs?

Just to help my team out whenever I can, be a good teammate, and get better in every way I can.

What’s next in the future for Kyle Anderson?
I’m just trying to have a good 2015-16 season, use this time to get better and try to have fun with everything.

Prologue:

In the 2015-16 season, his second in the NBA, Anderson averaged 4.5 points and 3.1 rebounds in 78 games for the Spurs, as they went on to the Western Conference semifinals, in which they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games. He once again played in the NBA Summer League, this time in Utah, in July and led in scoring with 23.7 points, while averaging 8.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.3 steals in three games.

Later in the summer, Anderson came back to play in New York City (his birthplace) at the famed Dyckman Tournament in the Inwood section of Manhattan and wowed crowds with his slick moves to the basket and found various ways to score.

“Slow Mo,” as he has been called since his middle school years, due to his slow-paced style of play, made a lasting impact and was a crowd favorite. One of his biggest moments of the summer came on August 22nd at Dyckman, during a playoff game between Skull Gang and Ave Life. With only a few seconds left on the clock, Anderson grabbed the ball, turned around and shot the ball, which hit the glass and went in, giving Skull Gang the victory.

He was also one of the main contributors in leading Skull Gang to the 2016 Dyckman College/Pro Division championship. Now entering his third season in the NBA, the 23-year-old Anderson looks to earn a bigger role with the Spurs. . As he continues to improve, it looks like he will be a formidable presence in the years to come.

Highlights of Kyle Anderson: